Asia piracy attacks fall in first nine months of 2013

There were a total of 90 incidents of piracy and armed robbery reported to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre for the first nine months of 2013, compared 96 in the same period a year earlier.

Singapore-based ReCAAP said 86 of the 90 reports were actual incidents while four were attempted. Of the 86 actual incidents it classified six as piracy the remaining 80 as armed robbery. Unlike previous years there were incidents that fell under ReCAAP’s most serious category. “Overall, incidents reported during January-September 2013 were generally less violent compared to those in the previous four years,” ReCAAP said in its third quarter report.

Looking at Southeast Asia it said: “Compared to past years, the decline in the number of incidents reported during January - September 2013 was most evident in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore involving ships while underway. However, there has been an increase in incidents onboard ships anchored off Pulau Nipah, Indonesia.”

Ship masters and crew were urged advised to “exercise enhanced vigilance and maintain watch-keeping when anchored in the vicinity” of Pulau Nipah.

Global piracy figures were at a seven year low in the third quarter of the year with 188 incidents reported to the International Maritime Bureau, the piracy watchdog said last week.