By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has reported that, despite a global reduction in the threat of piracy and vessel hijacking, it still remains a menace in the Gulf of Guinea, as 12 vessels have been hijacked in the area in the last six months.
This was disclosed in the IMB half-year Piracy Report on Piracy, which noted that, between January and June, there were only 58 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships across the world. This is a significant drop from 68 incidents during the same period last year.
The IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) reported 55 vessels boarded, two attempted attacks and one vessel hijacked. This is the lowest number of reported incidents for the first half of any year since 1994 – a testament to its pivotal role in raising awareness to make waters safer.
According to IMB’s Director Michael Howlett, “Not only is this good news for the seafarers and the shipping industry it is positive news for trade which promotes economic growth. But the areas of risk shift and the shipping community must remain vigilant. We encourage governments and responding authorities to continue their patrols which create a deterrent effect.”
While the reduction in reported incidents is indeed encouraging, the IMB PRC continues to caution against complacency – vessels were boarded in 96% of the reported incidents. Despite no crew kidnappings reported during this period, violence against and the threat to crews continues with 23 crew taken hostage and a further five crew threatened.
Cautious gains in the Gulf of Guinea
And of the 58 incidents, 12 were reported in the Gulf of Guinea, ten of which defined as armed robberies and the remaining two as piracy. In early April, a Panamax bulk carrier was attacked and boarded by pirates 260NM off the coast of Ghana.
