Maritime Security – IMB 2018 Piracy Report Released
The ICC International Maritime Bureau have issued their latest report on the piracy and armed robbery statistics for the 2018 calendar year.
The report shows a general increase in piracy and armed robbery related incidents from 2017 with 201 reported in 2018.
There was a steep rise in attacks off West Africa in 2018. Reports of attacks have more than doubled in the waters between the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There were no reported hijacking incidents in the Western Indian Ocean region in 2018. However, pirates fired upon a Suezmax tanker in the Gulf of Aden, as well as a product tanker and a Capesize bulk carrier more than three hundred miles from the Somali coastline.
In the South East Asia region, the number of incidents dropped in Indonesian and Philippines waters. But concerns were raised regarding attacks off Sabah, Eastern Malaysia with several violent attacks reported in the year.
Shipowners and ships’ crews must remember the importance of thorough voyage risk assessments, vessel hardening and reporting to the relevant military or State authorities when transiting high risk areas.
North’s loss prevention department has issued four briefings on maritime security which can be found here.
The full IMB report can be read here.