Around the world, maritime piracy dropped to its lowest level in 8 years in 2014, according to an annual report from London-based group the International Maritime Bureau. Despite that decline, however, ship hijackings in Southeast Asia were up significantly.
Pirates attacked 21 ships last year and took 442 crewmembers hostage, the report notes. This increased from 2013, when 12 ships were attacked and 302 crewmembers taken hostage.
In 2014, a total of 245 pirate attacks were reported. This was a 44 percent decline from 2011, the peak of pirate activity off the coast of Somalia, and from 264 in 2013. Of these total attacks, the former piracy hotspot of Somalia has only 11 reported piracy incidents. Southeast Asia had 124 of the attacks.
“The global increase in hijackings is due to a rise in attacks against coastal tankers in Southeast Asia,” International Maritime Bureau Director Pottengal Mukundan said in a statement. “Gangs of armed thieves have attacked small tankers in the region for their cargoes, many looking specifically for marine diesel and gas oil to steal and then sell.”
Many of the piracy attacks were low-legel thefts perpetrated with guns and long knives; however, 4 crewmembers were killed, 13 injured and 9 taken from the vessels they were working on.
Around the world, maritime piracy dropped to its lowest level in 8 years in 2014, according to an annual report from London-based group the International Maritime Bureau. Despite that decline, however, ship hijackings in Southeast Asia were up significantly.
Pirates attacked 21 ships last year and took 442 crewmembers hostage, the report notes. This increased from 2013, when 12 ships were attacked and 302 crewmembers taken hostage.
In 2014, a total of 245 pirate attacks were reported. This was a 44 percent decline from 2011, the peak of pirate activity off the coast of Somalia, and from 264 in 2013. Of these total attacks, the former piracy hotspot of Somalia has only 11 reported piracy incidents. Southeast Asia had 124 of the attacks.
“The global increase in hijackings is due to a rise in attacks against coastal tankers in Southeast Asia,” International Maritime Bureau Director Pottengal Mukundan said in a statement. “Gangs of armed thieves have attacked small tankers in the region for their cargoes, many looking specifically for marine diesel and gas oil to steal and then sell.”
Many of the piracy attacks were low-legel thefts perpetrated with guns and long knives; however, 4 crewmembers were killed, 13 injured and 9 taken from the vessels they were working on.
