EMEA News
IMB: Global Piracy Down, West African Violence Up
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Wednesday said that, while global piracy and armed robbery against ships continues to fall, violence against vessels off the coast of West Africa is growing, with 44 seafarers kidnapped so far this year.
IMB says that 37 piracy and armed robbery incidents - including three vessel hijackings and 29 boardings, and 26 crew kidnapped for ransom, and another 28 held hostage - were reported globally during 2016's first quarter of 2016, compared to 54 incidents during the same period of 2015.
Nigeria and Ivory Coast are said to account for the world's two of the three reported hijackings, including all 28 hostages, with the Gulf of Guinea noted as dominating world piracy in both numbers and severity.
The region is also said to have seen the kidnapping of 16 crew kidnapped from chemical and product tankers over four separate incidents, while ten attacks were reported off Nigeria, all of which involved guns.
"Reports in the last quarter indicate unacceptable violence against ships and crews in the Gulf of Guinea, particularly around Nigeria," said Pottengal Mukundan, IMB's Director.
As Ship & Bunker previously reported, a ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ReCAPP) report for January to the end of March 2016, shows that there still have been no incidents of tanker hijackings for the purpose of oil cargo theft in Asian waters since September 2015.
"Actions taken by the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities against pirate gangs in 2015 appear to have had the necessary deterrent effect," said Mukundan.
In Mid-March, Ship & Bunker reported that Panama-flagged oil tanker MT Maximus was returned to its owners, Super Maritime Nigeria Limited (Super Maritime Nigeria), by the Nigerian Navy after the vessel was hijacked in the Gulf of Guinea off Abijan, Ivory Coast in February for the purpose of stealing the 4,700 tonnes of diesel fuel that was on board.
