shippingposition
  • Home
  • News
  • Editorial
    • Vox Pop
  • Maritime safety
  • Oil and Gas
  • Personality
  • Health
No Result
View All Result
shippingposition

Home » Piracy, Armed Robbery Incidents At Lowest Level In 27 Years, But Risks Remain To Seafarers, IMB Cautions

Piracy, Armed Robbery Incidents At Lowest Level In 27 Years, But Risks Remain To Seafarers, IMB Cautions

by Ade
July 19, 2021
in Maritime safety

The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) received the lowest number of reported incidents for the first half of any year since 1994.

ICC-IMB

IMB’s latest global piracy report details 68 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships – the lowest total since 1994 – down from 98 incidents during the same period last year. In the first six months of 2021, IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) reported 61 vessels boarded, four attempted attacks, two vessels fired upon and one vessel hijacked.

Despite the overall decline in reported incidents, violence against crews has continued with 50 crew kidnapped, three each threatened and taken hostage, two assaulted, one injured and one killed throughout the first half of 2021.

While the reduced numbers of reported incidents is welcome, the IMB PRC continues to caution against complacency. Vessels were boarded in 91% of the reported incidents.

Cautious gains in Gulf of Guinea

The Gulf of Guinea continues to be particularly dangerous for seafarers with 32% of all reported incidents taking place in the region, according to IMB. The region accounted for all 50 kidnapped crew and the single crew fatality recorded by IMB during the first half of 2021.

The number of kidnappings recorded in the Gulf of Guinea in the last quarter is the lowest since Q2 2019, but pirates continue to target all vessel types throughout the region. IMB warns that fishing vessels have been hijacked in the Gulf of Guinea and later used as mother ships to target other merchant vessels.

“Whilst IMB welcomes reduced piracy and armed robbery activity in the Gulf of Guinea, the risk to seafarers still remains,” said IMB Director Michael Howlett. “By reporting all incidents to the Regional Authorities and IMB PRC, seafarers can maintain pressure against pirates. Bringing together maritime response authorities through initiatives – like Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project and Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum – will continue and strengthen knowledge sharing channels and reduce risk to seafarers in the region.”

Read Also:  Deep Blue Project Driven By Competent Manpower – Official

In early June, a bulk carrier was approached by a skiff with six pirates while transitioning through the region at around 210nm off the coast of Lagos. The carrier – equipped with appropriate vessel hardening – was able to prevent the armed pirates from coming onboard, but the incident demonstrates the continued capacity of pirates in the region to carry out attacks at further distances from the coast.

Knife attacks in Singapore Straits

The Singapore Straits recorded 16 incidents in the first six months of 2021, in comparison to 11 during the same period in 2020. These attacks are considered opportunistic in nature, but IMB warns that in seven incidents the perpetrators were armed with knives. In three separate incidents, seafarers were reported to have been either threatened, assaulted or injured.

Incidents rise off the coast of Peru

In comparison to the first half of 2019 and 2020, Callao Anchorage, Peru has experienced a two-fold increase in the number of incidents with nine incidents reported in total for 2021. There were four incidents in Q2 2021 and knives reported in three of these , according to the latest figures from IMB. Perpetrators in the region possess the capacity to carry out violent attacks with two separate incidents of crew being taken hostage and assaulted occurring in the first six months of 2021.

Manila Bay, Philippines

Vessels are advised to take precautionary measures while anchored in Manila Bay, Philippines, as four incidents were reported to IMB for Q2 2021.

“Reporting piracy and armed robbery incidents is the first line of defense against future attacks,” said ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO. “Sustained reporting to IMB will enable governments, maritime response agencies and other stakeholders to establish safer waters for our seafarers and smooth flow of goods throughout global supply chains.”

shippingposition

Kindly like us on Facebook


Tags: ICC-IMBPiracy

Related Posts

Navy Reiterates Need For Safety Measures To Avoid Loss At Sea

Navy Reiterates Need For Safety Measures To Avoid Loss At Sea

August 15, 2022
Insurance For Vessels Leaving Ukrainian Ports Loaded With Grains Skyrockets

Insurance For Vessels Leaving Ukrainian Ports Loaded With Grains Skyrockets

August 15, 2022
Troops Apprehend 10 Pipeline Vandals, 2 High Profile Sea Pirates

Troops Apprehend 10 Pipeline Vandals, 2 High Profile Sea Pirates

August 15, 2022
Alleged Bunkering: Navy Hands Over 5 Suspects, 1 Vessel To EFCC

Alleged Bunkering: Navy Hands Over 5 Suspects, 1 Vessel To EFCC

August 8, 2022

Discussion about this post

Latest News

Random Musing About Drug Seizures, Usage At The Port and Port Community

Random Musing About Drug Seizures, Usage At The Port and Port Community

August 15, 2022

Do you think Nigeria is winning the war against drug importation and usage?

Nigeria Loses N101bn Worth Of Oil, Says OPEC

World Bank Raises the Alarm Over Nigeria’s N6.7trn Annual Fuel Subsidy

$1.9bn Royalty, Taxes To Nigeria In Two Years – Shell

Oil Theft: Nigeria Loses 400,000 Barrels Daily – Sylva

Nigeria Loses N891bn To Gas Flaring

Navy Reiterates Need For Safety Measures To Avoid Loss At Sea

Insurance For Vessels Leaving Ukrainian Ports Loaded With Grains Skyrockets

Troops Apprehend 10 Pipeline Vandals, 2 High Profile Sea Pirates

WEEKLY GLOBAL MARINE INCIDENTS

Keep Wearing Facemasks To Prevent COVID-19, FG Urges Nigerians

kindly like our Facebook page

Health

‘Applying Mentholatum On Babies Nose, Mouth Risky, Could Cause Seizures, Respiratory Depression’
Health

‘Applying Mentholatum On Babies Nose, Mouth Risky, Could Cause Seizures, Respiratory Depression’

August 15, 2022

A Consultant Paediatrician at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idiaraba, Lagos, Dr. Gbemisola Boyede has cautioned against applying mentholatum on...

NCDC Confirms 157 Monkeypox Cases, Four Deaths

NCDC Confirms 157 Monkeypox Cases, Four Deaths

August 15, 2022
COVID-19 Kills Over 255,000 In Africa As Cases Hit 11.9m

COVID-19 Kills Over 255,000 In Africa As Cases Hit 11.9m

August 8, 2022
Anambra Vaccinates 643,658 Residents Against COVID-19 – Official

Anambra Vaccinates 643,658 Residents Against COVID-19 – Official

August 8, 2022
Early Detection Of Heart-Related Diseases Crucial To Preventing Sudden Death — Cardiologist

Early Detection Of Heart-Related Diseases Crucial To Preventing Sudden Death — Cardiologist

August 8, 2022
Monkeypox: WHO Advocates Global Investment In Vaccine As 70 Countries Affected

Monkeypox: WHO Advocates Global Investment In Vaccine As 70 Countries Affected

August 8, 2022
NIMR investigates Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness, side effects among Nigerians

NIMR investigates Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness, side effects among Nigerians

August 1, 2022
COVID-19: Fifth Wave Looms As Nigeria Records Three Deaths In One Week

COVID-19: Fifth Wave Looms As Nigeria Records Three Deaths In One Week

August 1, 2022
Reduce Sex Partners To Prevent Monkeypox, WHO Urges Men At Risk

Reduce Sex Partners To Prevent Monkeypox, WHO Urges Men At Risk

August 1, 2022
Researchers Caution Against Adding Salt To Foods, Say It Can Reduce Life Expectancy, Cause Death

Researchers Caution Against Adding Salt To Foods, Say It Can Reduce Life Expectancy, Cause Death

August 1, 2022
WHO Advocates Right Strategies To Stop Monkeypox Outbreak

WHO Advocates Right Strategies To Stop Monkeypox Outbreak

August 1, 2022

© 2021 Shippingposition

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Coast To Coast
  • Oil and Gas
  • Maritime Education
  • The Terminals
  • Maritime safety

© 2021 Shippingposition