Governments should not shirk from piracy protection for mariners

Nautilus International warns

Nautilus International has welcomed a reported global fall in piracy for 2012, but cautions that attacks on seafarers in Indonesia and West Africa are still a key cause for concern.

Responding to new figures from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said: ‘It is welcome news that piracy incidents are down globally and of course particularly pleasing to see the reduction in attacks off Somalia. However, incidents in Indonesia and West Africa continue to give rise to serious concern.’

Piracy on the world’s seas reached a five-year low in 2012, but mariners needed to remain vigilant, particularly in waters off east and west Africa, according to the piracy watchdog’s report. It says pirate attacks fell in 2012, with 297 ships attacked compared with 439 in 2011. But while worldwide figures were brought down by a huge reduction in Somali piracy, East and West Africa remained the worst hit areas, with 150 attacks in 2012.

Mr Dickinson said governments ‘must not be deflected from their responsibilities to protect seafarers and to rid the seas of piracy and armed attacks against merchant shipping by these encouraging global statistics.’

IMB director Captain Pottengal Mukundan agreed the piracy figures showed a welcome reduction in hijackings and attacks to ships, but warned that crews needed to remain vigilant, particularly in the highly dangerous waters off East and West Africa. The IMB has monitored piracy worldwide since 1991, as the specialist division of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

The report says there has been a marked rise in attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, and these were particularly violent, with 58 incidents recorded in 2012, including 10 hijackings and 207 crew members taken hostage, and guns reported in at least 37 of the attacks.

Public affairs manager at the Mission Seafarers, Ben Bailey, also welcomed the report but agreed there was more still to be done. While the naval forces should be encouraged to remain in the area, shipowners too, must continue to play their part and ensure their seafarers are properly protected, he said.

This report, however, highlighted that the pirate business model was being transferred to other regions, commented Mr Bailey.

‘The rise in piracy off the West Coast of Africa and the increasing number of armed robberies across the Indonesian archipelago requires all of us to be alert and create seafarer-focused programmes which protect the men and women prepared to sail the world’s seas and oceans on our behalf.’

Source: Nautilus International