Rising piracy incidents in Gulf of Guinea and Singapore Strait alarming - IMB

The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has expressed concern over a resurgence in piracy and armed robbery incidents in the Gulf of Guinea and the Singapore Strait.

CHART: Number of incidents reported between January and June by region. IMB

There have been 65 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the first half of this year - seven more than during the same period last year.

Of the 65 incidents reported, 57 vessels were boarded, four were attempted attacked, two were hijacked and two were fired on. 90% of the targeted vessels were boarded successfully by pirates, the IMB report says.

Among the types of vessels attacked, bulk carriers top the list with 24 attacks, followed by tankers and container ships with 16 and 12 attacks, respectively. The remaining 13 attacks were on a mixture of other vessel types.

In view of rising incidents in the Gulf of Guinea and the Singapore Strait, the IMB called “for continued, robust regional and international naval presence as a deterrent to address these crimes.”

Growing Gulf of Guinea concerns

“The resurgence in reported incidents including hostage situations and crew kidnappings in the Gulf of Guinea waters is concerning,” IMB director Michael Howlett says.

The first and second quarter of the year saw a total of five and nine reported incidents, respectively, in the region. 12 of these were classified as armed robberies, while the other two were termed piracy. Pirates targeted mostly anchored vessels in the region.

Howlett has called upon the “Gulf of Guinea regional authorities and the international community to refocus their attention on the region, to establish long-term, sustainable solutions that effectively address these crimes and protect the seafaring and fishing communities.”

Singapore Strait safety in question

There has been a massive 25% increase in reported incidents in the Singapore Strait, with large vessels transiting through the strait being the most vulnerable.

The IMB has urged littoral states to “allocate the required resources to address these crimes as crew members continue to be at risk with weapons reported in at least eight incidents.”

Incidents on rise globally

The South and Central American ports accounted for 14% of total incidents reported globally. There were 13 reported incidents, including “attempted boardings, hostage situations, and crew assaults and threats at Callao Anchorage in Peru, Colombia, Macapa Anchorage in Brazil, and Panama.”

Glimmer of hope in Indonesia

The Indonesian archipelagic region reported seven incidents – showing “a sustained decrease in reported incidents compared to years preceding 2020.”

By Tuhin Roy

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