The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is calling for regional and international players to sustain their efforts, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea, as global piracy and armed robbery incidents reach their lowest levels since 1992.
The IMB’s latest global quarterly piracy report details 90 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the first nine months of the year, the lowest recorded figure in three decades.
Perpetrators were successful in gaining access to the vessels in 95% of the reported incidents, which are broken down as 85 vessels boarded, four attempted attacks, and one vessel hijacked. In many of the cases vessels were either at anchor or steaming when boarded, with nearly all the incidents occurring during the hours of darkness.
Though these are amongst the lowest reports in decades, violence to crew continues, with 27 crew taken hostage, six assaulted and five threatened. The risk to the crew, however petty or opportunistic the incident, remains real.
Of the 90 incidents, 13 have been reported in the Gulf of Guinea region – compared to 27 over the same period of 2021 – signalling a positive and significant decline in the number of reported incidents in the region off West Africa, which has emerged as the world’s biggest piracy hotspot in recent years.
“We commend the efforts of the coastal authorities of the Gulf of Guinea – and while the decline is welcome, sustained and continued efforts of the coastal authorities and the presence of the international navies remain essential to safeguard seafarers.
In the SouthAmericas,the number of reports from Callao anchorage in Peru has dropped from 15 in the first nine months of 2021 to eight in 2022. Additionally, five incidents have been reported at Macapa Anchorage, Brazil, including one on August 30 where six security and duty crew were assaulted and tied up by perpetrators who boarded an anchored bulk carrier.
“While these are so far considered low-level opportunistic crimes, with no crew kidnappings or vessel hijackings, littoral states are requested to increase patrols in what is a strategically important waterway for the shipping industry and for global trade,” said IMB director Michael Howlett.
The reporting centre also believes there is a degree of underreporting - as well as late reporting of incidents from these waters - and has encouraged Masters to report all incidents as early as possible so that local authorities are able to identify, investigate and apprehend the perpetrators.
