Report on the Human and Economic Cost of maritime piracy
Ocean Beyond Piracy (OBP) released yesterday the fifth report on the State of Maritime Piracy” during 2014. The report assesses the cost of maritime piracy, both economic and human, to the international community.
This year’s analysis shows that in 2014 at least 5,000 seafarers were on board vessels attacked by criminals at sea, of which more than 1,000 were exposed to physical or psychological violence. 476 were held in captivity for some period of time, and 7 were killed. Some of these hostages have been held and tortured for over four years. This is an unacceptable level of violence that would not be tolerated if land or air routes were under similar threat – and it must not be tolerated at sea.
Although this report shows that the economic cost of Somali piracy may be down, the recent attacks on foreign fishing vessels and dhows in Somali waters show patterns similar to those that helped Somali piracy emerge ten years ago. However, because reporting is subject to restrictive criteria, these attacks on dhows are not normally included in official reporting and may hide a development that the reduced cost is masking – namely that Somali pirates still possess the means and capability – and are waiting for opportunities to strike. Stakeholders must act together and now to prevent a premature diminution of counter-piracy efforts.
The report also reveals disturbing piracy and armed robbery statistics from the Gulf of Guinea and South East Asia that show substantial dangers in shipping lanes and an unacceptable level of violence against seafarers. It is clear that the piracy business model in each of these regions must be addressed by a tailored response. As an example, the value of bringing together representatives from governments, industry and civil society to address the threat has been demonstrated by the success of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS).
This year’s report is broken into four sections:
- The first is an assessment of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean, starting with an analysis of the economic costs, and followed by the human costs.
- The second section focuses on West African piracy, beginning with the economic costs analysis; the human costs follow.
- The third section is a brief overview of piracy in Southeast Asia, primarily assessing the human costs.
- the final section showcases the first results of a long-term study attempting to measure the lasting impact of piracy on seafarers and understand their road to recovery
Report includes a thorough analysis with data/ figures and infographics assessing the situation and the cost of maritime piracy during 2014 in the Western Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Guinea and, for the first time, in Southeast Asia. Read OBP Executive Summary of the Report at the following article: OBP Report on the Economic and Human Cost of Piracy 2014. All appendices mentioned in the report may be found by clicking here. Visit official OBP Website at www.oceansbeyondpiracy.org
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State of Maritime Piracy 2014 at a glance |
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West Indian Ocean
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Gulf of Guinera
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Southeast Asia
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| Report conclusions |
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OBP analysis of the human cost of West African piracy in 2014 suggests that reporting challenges complicate the ability of international observers to effectively identify long-term trends. With that caveat, there was a decline in the reported numbers of attacks off West Africa in 2014. Rates of violence remain particularly high, and an increase in reported attacks and associated violence in riverine areas suggests that the decline in numbers may be driven more by underreporting than by an actual decrease in attacks. Regardless of whether the decline is due to an actual decline in attacks or not, piracy in 2014 and the effects of pre- 2014 piracy had a significant human impact on seafarers. The lasting impact of abuse, injury, and stress related to pirate activity for those seafarers directly attacked is likely to be significant, and the community-level impact on West Africa has As noted by Captain Wren Thomas, “Something more has to be done to protect the men and women who work off the coast of West Africa and then to provide for them when they return from an event like this.“ |
Please click below to read the report
Source: Oceans Beyond Piracy
