In its third quarter report IMB said there were 188 incidents of piracy reported in the first nine months of this year down from 233 in the same period in 2012. According to IMB it was lowest third quarter level of attacks since the third quarter of 2006.
The number of seafarers taken hostage in the first nine months of 2013 also fell markedly to 266 compared to 458 in the same period in 2012.
“Although the number of attacks is down overall, the threat of attacks remains, particularly in the waters off Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea. It is vital that ship masters continue to be vigilant as they transit these waters,” said Potengal Mukundan, director of the IMB.
The number of attacks off Somalia in the first nine months of 2013 fell to just 10, compared to 70 in the first three quarters of 2012. “The vital role of the navies off the coast of Somalia should not be underestimated. Their presence ensures that pirates do not operate with the impunity they did before,” Mukundan said.
However, in West Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea attacks have continued to increase with more than 40 attacks in the first three quarters of 2013 and some 132 crew taken hostage.
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