Tag: maritime piracy

297 ships attacked in 2012, compared with 439 in 2011, says IMB Piracy on the world's seas has reached a five-year low, with 297 ships attacked in 2012, compared with 439 in 2011, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) global piracy report revealed today. Worldwide figures were brought down by a huge reduction in Somali piracy, though East and West Africa remain the worst hit areas, with 150 attacks in 2012.Globally, 174 ships were boarded by pirates last year, while 28 were hijacked and 28 were fired upon. IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre also recorded 67 attempted attacks. The number of people taken hostage onboard fell to 585 from 802 in 2011, while a further 26 were kidnapped for ransom in Nigeria. Six crewmembers were killed and 32 were injured or assaulted."IMB's piracy figures show a welcome reduction in hijackings and attacks to ships. But crews must remain vigilant, particularly in the highly dangerous waters off East and West Africa," said Captain Pottengal Mukundan, Director of IMB, which has monitored piracy worldwide since 1991.In Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, just 75 ships reported attacks in 2012 compared with 237 in 2011, accounting for 25% of incidents ...

Reducing the Human Cost of Piracy

Reducing the Human Cost of Piracy Part 2/2

EUNAVFOR and Combined Maritime Force Commanders work together to fight piracy

Man Without a Nation documentary film

ONI issues Piracy Analysis and Warning Weekly (PAWW) Report

ONI issues Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report

Somali pirates release 3 Syrian hostages after 2 years

The Critical Maritime Routes in the Gulf of Guinea Programme A new project which will boost security and the safety of maritime routes across seven African countries in the Gulf of Guinea was announced today by the European Union.The Critical Maritime Routes in the Gulf of Guinea Programme (CRIMGO) will help governments across West and Central Africa to improve safety of the main shipping routes by providing training for coastguards and establishing a network to share information between countries and agencies across the region.Announcing the project today, Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, said: "Without security, development can never properly reach the people it needs to. That's why our new project, which will help to boost transport security in Western Africa, is so crucial. By making the waters safe, we are helping to boost trade and growth and provide more opportunities to make a living, which these countries so desperately need."The project will be rolled out from January 2013 in 7 African coastal states: Benin, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Sâo Tomé and Principe and Togo.The Gulf of Guinea currently accounts for 13% of oil and 6% of gas imports to the EU. However, piracy and armed robbery, as well as drug, ...

ReCAAP Issues Report for November 2012