The Gulf of Guinea continues to be a piracy hotspot, with the second quarterly report from the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) showing that all 2018 crew kidnappings have so far occurred in the region in six separate incidents.
A total of 107 incidents was reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) in the first six months of 2018.
In total, 69 vessels were boarded, with 23 attempted attacks, 11 vessels fired upon and four vessels hijacked. No vessels were reported as hijacked in the second quarter.
The number of crew members taken hostage increased from 63 to 102 compared to the same time period in 2017.
All 25 crew kidnappings reported this year have occurred over six incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, highlighting the higher risks in this area.
Moreover, the true number of incidents in the Gulf of Guinea is believed to be “significantly higher” than what is reported to the IMB PRC, says the report.
Pottengal Mukundan, director of IMB, said: “The 2018 figures aptly demonstrate the value of timely and transparent reporting. The reports help to focus on risk areas, and to accurately inform vessels of evolving dangers and allow authorities to deliver an effective response.”
