ReCAAP Information Sharing Center has issued its Monthly Report for January 2016 on Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia. A total of nine actual incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia during this month. No piracy incident was reported. The number of incidents in January 2016 has shown a slight increase compared to November and December 2015; but compared to January 2015, there has been a decrease. Refer to Graph 1 on the number of incidents reported every month between January 2015 and January 2016.
Incidents occurred in January 2016 were relatively less severe compared to incidents reported in January 2015. There was no Category 1 incident reported in January 2016 compared to two Category 1 incidents reported in January 2015. Chart 1 shows the significance level of incidents reported during January of 2012-2016. Incidents involving hijacking of tankers for theft of oil cargo did not occur in January 2016, continuously since September 2015.
The two Category 2 incidents in January 2016 occurred on board ship anchored at Tianjin outer anchorage, China and on board ship anchored at Pilot Station anchorage, Vietnam. Of the two Category 3 incidents, one occurred on board ship anchored at Kandla anchorage, India and the other on board a ship anchored at Galang anchorage, Indonesia. The other five Category 4 incidents occurred at ports and anchorages in India (Kandla and Visakhapatnam). The situation at Kandla anchorage is of concern with five incidents occurred there in January 2016.
The ReCAAP ISC concludes that the situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia has improved since August 2015. Notably, for a consecutive three months since November 2015, there has been no actual incident reported on board ships while underway in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS); and also no reported incident involving hijacking of tankers for theft of oil cargo since September 2015. However, there is no room for complacency as more need to be done to enhance port security at certain ports and anchorages.
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Source: ReCAAP ISC
