A total of 43 ships were targeted by piracy and sea armed robbers in the first quarter of 2017. Nigeria has been cited as kidnap hotspots. International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recent report said the figure was up from 37 incidents compared to the same period of last year.
According to the report a total of 33 vessels were attacked and boarded worldwide while 58 crew members were either kidnapped or taken hostage. Off the coast of Somalia, armed pirates hijacked two vessels. This broke the five-year hiatus in Somali coastal attacks, which last recorded an incident in May 2012. A total of 28 crew members were taken in the two attacks.
IMB said it considered the attacks to be opportunistic as neither vessel complied with BMP4, the best management practices policy to protect against Somali pirates. A Director of the IMB, Pottengal Mukundan, said “The recent attacks should serve as a warning against complacency, as Somali pirates are still capable of carrying out attacks. The presence of international navies that patrol these waters is extremely important as it provides an added layer of deterrence to the pirates and, more importantly, helps to secure one of the most important trade routes of the world”.
The IMB said 27crew were kidnapped worldwide for ransoms in the first quarter of 2017, with 63 per cent occurring in the Gulf of Guinea. It explained that Nigeria is the main kidnap hotspot, with 17 crew kidnapped in three incidents, up from 14 kidnaps for the first quarter 2016.
Mukundan “The Gulf of Guinea is a major area of concern, consistently dangerous for seafarers, and shows signs of kidnappings increasing. IMB has worked closely with the response agencies in the region including the Nigerian navy, which has provided valuable support, but more needs to be done to crack down on the area’s armed gangs.”
The IMB report also identifies growing violence in the southern Philippines, where nine ships were attacked in the first quarter of the year, against two during the same period of 2016. 2 crew members were killed in an attack in February, and 10 crew were kidnapped during the period.
The IMB said militant activity could be to blame for the increase in violence in this area. It advises vessels to avoid the Sulu Sea and Sibutu Passage.
