The sharp reduction in pirate activity off the Somali coast since 2010 has cut the annual cost (for anti-piracy measures) to shipping companies in half (to about $3 billion). That is a huge relief to the shipping companies, the sailors on those ships and the people of East Africa who saw imports get a bit more expensive to pay for the increased security costs.
This is all a big change from just a few years ago. In 2010 pirate activity had reached levels of activity not seen in over a century. But over the next three years the problem was fixed. By 2013 attacks on ships by Somali pirates had declined 95 percent from the 2010 peak and the activity is going lower in 2014.
Pirates Suddenly Emerging Against Merchant Vessels Off New Coast of Africa
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- Category: Pirateria
- Published on Wednesday, 25 June 2014 08:18
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The Sun
By STEVEN COHEN AND TERENCE McKNIGHT,
Special to the Sun | June 10, 2014
http://www.nysun.com/foreign/pirates-suddenly-emerging-bragainst-merchant/88746/
Pirates are once again threatening merchant ships off the coast of Africa. But now, most of the attacks are coming not off the eastern coast near Somalia, but in the Atlantic along the west coast near Nigeria. Moreover, today’s new pirates’ weapons, tactics, and demands are far more formidable, dangerous and destabilizing.
Unlike their Somali brethren, who typically kidnap their victims and hold them for ransom, west coast pirates attack and attempt to seize ships as prizes. This past April, west-coast pirates killed one crew member and injured another during an attack on a German-owned tanker. Though
South China Sea, Strait of Malacca see rise in piracy
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- Published on Monday, 16 June 2014 10:16
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Several ships have been hijacked in the high seas off Malaysia this year; smaller vessels are also at risk.
By Grace Chen for Khabar Southeast Asia in Kuala Lumpur
June 10, 2014
Pirates have recently targeted large commercial ships sailing on both sides of the Malaysian Peninsula, but local small boat operators say their vessels are also vulnerable to crime.
Piracy has a big impact on smaller boats, says Robert Fernandez, a commercial diver based in Selangor, Malaysia. [Grace Chen/Khabar]
Most cases reported to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) involve tankersand cargo ships. Many others – attacks on fishing boats, leisure boats and the like –
Sea Transportation: Fighting Piracy Pays OffMonday, 26 May 2014 | 00:00
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- Published on Sunday, 25 May 2014 22:18
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United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UKMTO): Piracy Report, May 17th-23rd 2014
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- Published on Sunday, 25 May 2014 22:16
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Monday, 26 May 2014 | 00:00
A busier week for reports, with UKMTO logging three incidents, although the incident on May 21st wasn’t immediately reported to them, which doesn’t help domain awareness. All incidents should be reported to UKMTO immediately, in order to ensure other ships nearby can be alerted to possible pirate activity.
On with the reports:
On with the reports:
20 May – 12 52.5N 43 12.03E. At 0747 a vessel reported being approached by 4 skiffs with 3-4 POB to within 0.7nm. The Skiffs circled around the vessel for approximately 20/30 minutes. No weapons or ladders were sighted. The security team showed weapons and the skiffs moved away.