Piracy threat to crew persists despite global decline

In the first half of 2024, the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC) received 60 reports of piracy and armed robbery, a decrease from 65 in the same period in 2023. However, this positive drop in global figures masks a substantial increase in crew violence; 85 crew were kidnapped over the period, up from 36 the previous year, with 11 kidnappings and two crews threatened.

The same trend is confirmed by the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery on Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC). According to its half-year report, the total number of incidents in Asia were reduced by 16% from the first half of 2023, but the severity of the incidents increased. Although most incidents in Asian water are reported as low-level opportunistic thefts, with little physical harm to crews, it is not uncommon for the perpetrators to be armed with knives and other weapon-like objects that are used to threaten the crew.

As we cross the halfway mark of 2024, the following piracy trends are worth noting:

• Somali piracy still poses a threat, with eight incidents reported to the IMB PRC in the first half of 2024, including three hijackings. The agency emphasizes that recent incidents demonstrate the continued capability and capacity of Somali pirates to target vessels up to 1,000 nautical miles (nm) off the Somali coast.

• In the Gulf of Guinea, the IMB PRC recorded a drop in incidents, from 14 during the first half of 2023 to 10 in 2024. However, the threats to crew safety and wellbeing continue to be a cause for concern, with the region accounting for all 11 crew kidnapped globally in the first half of 2024 and 21 of the crew taken hostage.

• ReCAAP figures indicate a 49% decrease in reported incidents in the Singapore and Malacca Straits (SOMS) compared to the first half of 2023. Nevertheless, in terms of number of incidents, SOMS still tops the list of global piracy hotspots and the targeting and boarding of large vessels, mainly bulk carriers, transiting through these waters remains worrying.

• Both Bangladesh and Indonesia recorded the highest number of incidents in a first half of a year in a long time. All incidents involved vessels at ports or anchorages and mainly large commercial vessels.

Stay alert!

The level of threat from piracy and armed robbery at sea, as well as the opportunity for and modus operandi of the perpetrators, differs from one region to another and may also change quickly. Hence, prior to entering any piracy prone area, it is important to:

• obtain updated information from local sources and security experts,

• review the ship security plan in light of the information received,

• conduct a voyage specific risk assessment,

• brief and train the crew and prepare, and

• test the vessel’s emergency communication plans.

Relevant preventive measures must be adopted, following available industry guidance and best management practices (BMP). The potential consequences of not following industry best practices may be severe when transiting areas prone to piracy.

Please refer to Gard’s website “Piracy and armed robbery at sea” for further advice.