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Somali piracy still a 'high risk' despite a year without a hijackingSomali piracy still a 'high risk' despite a year without a hijacking

A year on from the last successful Somali pirate hijacking, the waters off Somalia remain a high-risk area for shipping warns the piracy watchdog the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

Marcus Hand, Editor

May 13, 2013

1 Min Read
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The last successful hijacking of ship and its crew for ransom by Somali pirates was on 12 May 2012 and according to IMB’s first quarter report there were just five attacks off Somalia in the first three months of the year.

However, the threat still remains and pirates did manage to takeover a fishing vessel in the first quarter, but were intercepted by naval vessels before they could bring it back to the Somali coast.

“We still consider the area high risk. We still warn ships to maintain extra vigilance. It is very dangerous,” Noel Choong, head of the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur told Seatrade Global.

Navy patrols have been successful in stopping pirate skiffs from getting out from the coast to attack vessels, however, if the pirates manage to evade the navy patrols the risk of a hijacking remains high.

“A lot of ships are still maintaining private armed security onboard the vessel. The pressure is still there for ships to take extra measures,” Choong said.

The drop in attacks is attributed to a combination of naval patrols, private armed security and the implementation of BMP4, best management practices by vessels transiting the area.

Meanwhile the IMB is increasingly worried about the situation in West Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. Choong said they were “very concerned about West Africa” as the growth in pirate attacks was showing the same pattern as that off Somalia a few years earlier attacking vessels further and further away from the coast.

About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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