Singapore Shipping Association Says Most SE Asia Hijacking Incidents Are Armed Robbery, Not Piracy

SSA says recent reports of pirate attacks are in fact more likely to have been armed robbery and targeted at specific vessel types.

In the wake of an increasing number of South East Asia vessel hijackings in recent months, the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) has released a statement to highlight the difference between piracy and armed robbery, and the different protocols for dealing with both.

Armed robbery is said to occur within the territorial waters and under the jurisdiction of the sovereign state, whereas piracy occurs on the high seas.

"The distinction determines whether a merchant vessel can seek protection from the navy/coast guard of the littoral state or from the navy/coastguard of the vessel's flag of registry," note the SSA.

The associated has commissioned a study to determine the scale of the threat posed to seafarers in the region, the findings of which were said to show that the vast majority of incidents that occurred in the region during the first quarter of this year fall under the category of armed robbery and not piracy.

"Seafarers should note that recent reports of pirate attacks are in fact more likely to have been armed robbery and targeted at specific vessel types, particularly when in port or at anchor," stated SSA.

The findings showed that only 14 percent of attacks on merchant vessels were classified as piracy, while 85 percent were cases of armed robbery, 46 percent of which occurred while in port or at anchorage.

SSA also says that 68 percent of overall incidents in the region involved "petty theft" where perpetrators were unarmed, crew members were unharmed, and economic loss was low.

"With an estimated 50,000 - 90,000 vessels transiting Straits of Malacca and Singapore each year and further numbers sailing around the South East Asia and South China seas, it can be calculated that the likelihood of a merchant vessel, which exercises high vigilance and conducts anti-boarding watch, being attacked is between 0.012 and 0.07 percent," said SSA.

The SSA also noted that "the situation in the South China Sea is vastly different to the situation in the Gulf of Aden where heavily armed pirates board vessels in open seas with the intention of taking the ship and its crew hostage for ransom payments."

To counter possible boarding during travel in South East Asian waters, SSA has urged captains and seafarers to ensure they comply with recommended safety guidelines, advising that, if boarded, "captains should put the well-being of their crew first while, at the same time, fully complying with the standing instructions of their respective companies."

Earlier in June, it was reported that Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) had said that Southeast Asian piracy is "especially dangerous for seafarers" given the quantity of attacks that took place in 2014.