ReCAAP ISC reports a 19% increase in number during 2017 (compared with 2016) in its Annual Report of Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia. ReCAAP ISC also presents the areas where the most incidents occurred and those which were the most safe.
The annual statistics and analysis were presented at the 9th Nautical Forum in Singapore, jointly organized by ReCAAP ISC, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Shipping Association.
- There was an increase in the number of incidents reported in 2017 compared to 2016
- A total of of 101 incidents (comprising 89 actual incidents and 12 attempted incidents) were reported in 2017 compared to 85 incidents in 2016
- This accounted for a 19% increase in the number of incidents reported in 2017 compared to 2016
- Of the incidents reported in 2017, the majority, i.e. 85 (84%) were armed robbery against ships, while 16 (16%) were piracy incidents
- Two-thirds of the incidents occurred at anchor/berth (68 incidents), while one-third of the incidents occurred on board ships while underway (33 incidents)
As far as certain areas that faced the most troubles, these are:
- Ports/anchorages in Chittagong and off Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh (11 incidents)
- Ports/anchorages in Batangas and Manila, Philippines (17 incidents)
- South China Sea (anchored & underway) (12 incidents)
- Straits of Malacca & Singapore (9 incidents)
- Also of concern was the continued occurrence of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas, although the latest actual incident was in March 2017 (3 incidents in 2017 compared to 10 in 2016)
- There was also occurrence of hijacking of ship for theft of oil cargo (3)
On the other hand, improvement was noticed in:
- There was a decrease in number of incidents at ports and anchorages in India, Malaysia and Vietnam compared to 2016
- There was a decrease in the number of incidents of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas in 2017 (3 actual incidents) compared to 2016 (10 actual incidents)
- In terms of the severity level of incidents, there was a decline in the number of the most severe incidents (CAT 1) in 2017 compared to the past three years (2014-2016)
- The number of CAT 1 incidents has reduced by more than 50% in 2017 (6 incidents) compared to 2016 (13 incidents).
“While the number of incidents in 2017 continue to be among the lowest in the past decade, the increase that occurred over the last year is a reminder that there is no room for complacency in the fight against piracy and armed robbery against ships, and underscores the need for enhanced vigilance among all stakeholders,” said Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre.
Due to the increased piracy incidents in Asia, ReCAAP ISC provided operators with some advisory, which can be summarized as following:
- Re-route where possible
- Exercise enhanced vigilance
- Conduct risk assessment
- Adopt piracy countermeasures to mitigate risk
- Make timely reporting
- Maintain communication
Conclusion
- Increase in number of incidents in 2017 compared to 2016 and more needs to be done in certain locations: Bangladesh, Philippines, Singapore, South China Sea, Straits of Malacca.
- Abduction of crew and theft of oil cargo remained a concern in 2017.
- ReCAAP ISC reiterates collective and shared responsibility among authorities and shipping industry.
You can view more information about ReCAAP ISC’s annual piracy report in the PDF herebelow
