ReCAAP ISC has issued its monthly report on piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia for November 2016. A total of ten incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported during this period. Throughout the past one-year period , the number of incidents has fluctuated.
In November 2016, 10 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia. On a month-to-month comparison from November 2015 to November 2016, the number of incidents has fluctuated throughout the one-year period. Chart 1 below shows the number of incidents reported between November 2015 and November 2016.
Between January and November 2016, a total of 77 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia. Among the 77 incidents, 70 were actual incidents and seven were attempted incidents. This is a 60% decrease in the overall number of incidents compared to January – November 2015 when 193 incidents were reported. The number of incidents reported during January – November 2016 is also the lowest among the five-year reporting period of January – November of 2012-2016.
Conclusion
The situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia has witnessed continuous improvement in November 2016, with a 60% decrease in total number of incidents compared to the same period in 2015. Notably continued improvement was observed in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) with no incident reported in the SOMS since April 2016. Also, no incident involving hijacking of tankers for theft of oil cargo was reported in November 2016.
However, the situation in the Sulu-Celebes Sea and off Eastern Sabah is quite alarming. More need to be done by the littoral States and the shipping industry to firmly address the situation of abduction of crew in the area. In particular, the littoral States are requested to step up patrols and enforcement in the area; and the shipping industry is expected to adopt relevant preventive measures.
Further details may be found in the report herebelow
Source & Image credit: ReCAAP
