In the first half of 2025, the IFC recorded a total of 1,183 incidents, which is a 23% decrease compared to the same period in 2024. This reduction is primarily attributed to a significant drop in reported cases across three specific categories: Maritime Incidents (MI), Contraband Smuggling (CS), and Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported Fishing (IUUF).
Theft, Robbery, and Piracy at Sea (TRAPS)
Contrary to the overall trend, incidents of theft, robbery, and piracy at sea (TRAPS) increased by 50%, with 99 reported cases in the first half of 2025, up from 66 in the same period in 2024. This rise is mainly concentrated in the Singapore Strait. The IFC attributes this increase to a combination of factors: the challenging sea conditions caused by the Northeast Monsoon, which affected fishing activities and yields, and increased financial pressures on locals leading up to festivities, which may have driven them to resort to petty crime to supplement their income. The IFC expects this trend to continue in the second half of the year due to similar financial obligations and poor sea conditions caused by the Southwest Monsoon.
Other Incident Categories
- Maritime Incidents (MI): This category saw a 25% decrease in incidents, with 359 cases reported in 2025 compared to 478 in 2024. The decrease is largely due to a drop in incidents in Indonesia, which faced severe weather conditions in the previous year. However, the number of dead or missing persons more than doubled in 2025, primarily due to two incidents in May where small boats carrying a large number of people sank. The main causes of these incidents continue to be bad weather and equipment failures.
- Contraband Smuggling (CS): There was a 30% decrease in smuggling incidents, with 321 reported cases in the first half of 2025. This reduction is likely the result of enhanced enforcement efforts and improved cross-border collaboration among law enforcement agencies, making these activities more difficult to carry out.
- Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported Fishing (IUUF): This category also saw a decrease, with a 23% drop in incidents, totaling 335 cases. The majority of these incidents occurred in the waters off Australia, Malaysia, and the Republic of Korea.
- Irregular Human Migration (IHM): The number of IHM incidents decreased by 37%, with 44 reported cases. This is likely due to prolonged poor sea conditions and increased enforcement efforts by regional authorities. However, there has been a notable increase in the number of people migrating south from Bangladesh and Myanmar, possibly due to deteriorating conditions in UN displaced persons camps in Bangladesh.
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Source: Safety4sea
