Maritime Piracy has been a dangerous threat to the shipping industry. Piracy and armed robbery against ships continue despite reductions in the number of ships hijacked and crew captured.
The International Maritime Bureau(IMB) has released its annual piracy reports comparing the figures of 2014 and 2015.
Key Figures:
- Around 246 incidents reported in 2015, one more than in 2014.
- The number of vessels boarded rose 11% to 203, one ship was fired at, and a further 27 attacks were thwarted.
- Armed with guns or knives, pirates killed one seafarer and injured at least 14.
- Kidnappings – where crew are taken away and held for ransom – doubled from nine in 2014 to 19 in 2015, all the result of five attacks off Nigeria.
- A total of 15 vessels were hijacked in 2015, down from 21 in 2014.
- Nearly 271 hostages were held on their ships, compared with 442 in 2014.
- No hijackings were reported in the last quarter of 2015.
- The number of vessels boarded increased by 11% from 183 in 2014 to 203 in 2015.
- In 2015
- 1 Vessel was fired
- 15 vessels were hijacked
- 27 attempted attacks.
Reported results:
- Nigeria is identified as a hotspot for violent piracy and armed robbery.
- No Somali-based attacks were reported in 2015.
- IMB warns vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean to stay particularly vigilant.
- Incidents in Vietnam surged from seven in 2014 to 27 in 2015.
- In China four incidents, three thefts of bunker diesel oil from large bulk carriers and one failed attempt were recorded in December 2015, the first in a long time.
- Low-level incidents in Bangladesh dropped to 11 in 2015, from 21 in 2014.
IMB advises shipmasters and owners to report all actual, attempted and suspected piracy and armed robbery incidents. They also highlight the allocation of adequate resources to tackle piracy.
Source: ICC
