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Pirate attacks up in Q1 as Somali hijackings return

Pirate attacks up in Q1 as Somali hijackings return
Piracy attacks reported to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) increased in the first quarter of 2017 as Somali hijackings made an unwelcome return after a five-year absence.

A total of 43 pirate attacks were reported to the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre in Q1 this year up from 37 in the same period in 2016. The attacks in the first quarter of 2017 involved 33 boardings with four vessels fired upon.

The first quarter of the year saw the first successful hijackings by Somali pirates in five years taking a small tanker and dhow in the country’s waters. IMB said it suspected the attacks were opportunistic with the vessels not following Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia Based Piracy (BMP4) recommendations.

“IMB continues to encourage all vessels transiting waters around Somalia to follow the BMP4 recommendations. The recent attacks should serve as a warning against complacency, as Somali pirates are still capable of carrying out attacks,” said Potengal Mukundan, director of the IMB.

“The presence of international navies who 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,” he added.

The Gulf of Guinea continued to see attacks with 17 crew taken from three vessels while underway 30-60 nautical miles off the Bayelsa coast in the first quarter.

“The Gulf of Guinea is a major area of concern, consistently dangerous for seafarers, and 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,” Mukundan said.

The other area of concern was the Southern Philippines where nine ships were attacked in the first quarter, including an attack on a general cargo vessel where two crew were killed and five kidnapped for ransom.