KUALA LUMPUR – A study released yesterday by the ICC International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB) reports that piracy attacks around the world more than doubled from 114 to 240 during the first six months of the year compared with the same period in 2008. It states that “the rise in overall numbers is due almost entirely to increased Somali pirate activity off the Gulf of Aden and east coast of Somalia, with 86 and 44 incidents reported respectively.”
A total of 78 vessels were boarded worldwide, 75 vessels fired upon and 31 vessels hijacked with some 561 crew taken hostage, 19 injured, seven kidnapped, six killed and eight missing.
The study also records that though attacks off the eastern coast of Somalia had decreased in recent months after peaking in March and April, with no attacks reported in June, this was attributable to heavy weather associated with the monsoons that are expected to continue into August and a move further east by pirates to avoid the international taskforce off the Somali coast.
Nigeria is also considered to be high risk area, with 13 incidents reported in the second quarter to the IMB and at least 24 other attacks which have not been directly reported. However, a recent declaration of a sixty-day ceasefire by the main rebel group responsible, MEND, will hopefully see a reduction in attacks.
Attacks in Southeast Asia and the Far East have increased by over 100 percent, from 10 in the first quarter to 21 in the second quarter, though once again there is a change in the pattern of attacks due to those of the second quarter being against vessels at sea rather than at anchor.
Indonesia saw only two incidents in the second quarter compared with six in the corresponding period last year. The report attributes this to successful actions by the Indonesian authorities.
The IMB is part of ICC Commercial Crime Services, which is a specialized division of the International Chamber of Commerce.
