AFTER a steady drop in global piracy over the last few years, attacks rose 10 per cent year on year in the first quarter, reports GAC Hot Port News.
South East Asia accounts for 55 per cent of the world's 54 piracy and armed robbery incidents since the start of 2015, according to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
Coastal tankers are hijacked by pirates in South East Asia every two weeks on average, says the IMB report. Most are carried out by armed gangs out to steal their cargo of fuel. Five tankers and an offshore tug have been hijacked in the first quarter.
Worldwide, pirates took 140 hostages in the first three months of 2015, three times as many as during the same period in 2014. A total of 13 seafarers were assaulted and three injured.
In West Africa, a hotspot for violent piracy, one man was killed in the hijacking of a fishing vessel off Ghana. Five crew members were kidnapped by Nigerian pirates in two separate incidents in addition to a small product tanker being reported hijacked.
IMB has recorded 23 ship hijackings in South East Asia since April 2014, with six taking place in the last three months.
"The frequency of these hijackings in South East Asia is an increasing cause for concern. There's a risk that the attacks and violence could increase if left unabated," said IMB director Pottengal Mukundan, whose agency has been monitoring world piracy since 1991.
Malaysian authorities have detained one pirate crew now awaiting trial. IMB has commended this action and calls for a stronger, coordinated regional response to clamp down on piracy in South East Asian waters.
The country with the highest number of attacks is Indonesia, accounting for almost 40 per cent of 2015 attacks, with two vessels hijacked and 19 vessels boarded.
The IMB reports that the overwhelming majority of incidents are low-level, opportunistic robberies, although the attackers here are usually armed with knives, machetes or guns.
With eight reports in the past three months alone, Vietnam has seen an increase in armed robbery incidents. More and more thieves are breaking into ships at anchor in and around Hai Phong and Vung Tau.
The IMB Piracy Report shows zero incidents for Somalia in the first quarter of 2015. However, it advises shipmasters to follow the industry's Best Management Practices, as the threat of Somali piracy has not been totally eliminated.
IMB offers the latest piracy reports free of charge. To request a PDF version of the report by email, please visit: icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre/request-piracy-report
Latest attacks may also be viewed on the IMB Live Piracy Map at: icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre/live-piracy-map
PIRACY
29 April 2015 - 20:57
Piracy rises 10pc in first quarter after global downturn: IMB Report
AFTER a steady drop in global piracy over the last few years, attacks rose 10 per cent year on year in the first quarter, reports GAC Hot Port News.
PIRACY
29 April 2015 - 20:57
Piracy rises 10pc in first quarter after global downturn: IMB Report
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