Violent attacks against ships and their crews are on the rise this year amid a recent spike in the number of seafarers kidnapped in West Africa, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has revealed.
Figures from the IMB showed 98 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the first half of 2020, compared with 78 during the same period of last year.
A total of 77 seafarers were taken hostage or kidnapped for the six months, versus 75 in the corresponding period of 2019, according to the IMB.
Only one ship was hijacked between January and June – the lowest since 1993.
“So far this year, 49 crew have been kidnapped for ransom in the Gulf of Guinea and held captive on land for up to six weeks,” said the IMB, which is part of the International Chamber of Commerce.
“Rates are accelerating, with 32 crew kidnapped in the past three months alone. And they are happening further out to sea: two-thirds of the vessels were attacked on the high seas from around 20 to 130 nautical miles off the Gulf of Guinea coastline.“
In one of the latest incidents, five Chinese seafarers were abducted from Pacific International Lines’ 27,378-dwt cargoship Kota Budi (built 2013) off Benin on 2 July.
With acute security concerns in the region, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has formed a working group with the IMO and shipping organisations including Bimco and the International Chamber of Shipping to tackle piracy.
According to the IMB, the increasing threat of piracy added to hardships already faced by hundreds of thousands of seafarers working beyond their contractual periods due to Covid-19 restrictions on crew rotations and international travel.
“Violence against crews is a growing risk in a workforce already under immense pressure,” IMB director Michael Howlett said. “In the Gulf of Guinea, attackers armed with knives and guns now target crews on every type of vessel.”
He said all crews are vulnerable.
“We need to change the risk-to-reward ratio for pirates operating within the Gulf of Guinea. Without an appropriate and proportionate deterrent, pirates and robbers will get more ruthless and more ambitious, increasing the risk to seafarers,” Howlett said.
The IMB has urged vessels to report any attacks promptly so it can then liaise with coastal agencies, international navies and vessel operators to encourage quick responses.
Regional breakdowns
South East Asian nations reported a total of 33 attacks between January and June, up from 17 incidents in the first half of 2019.
“The Singapore Strait saw 11 incidents in the first half of 2020, raising the risk of collisions in this busy shipping channel, especially at night,” the IMB said.
“Although most are opportunistic, low-level attacks that are aborted once the alarm is sounded, two reports in May 2020 indicated crew were threatened with knives, taken hostage and injured.”
Also, 17 attacks were reported in Latin American countries in the six months, versus 19 between January and June 2019.
But many incidents went unreported in the region, making the piracy issues harder to tackle, according to the IMB.
While no incidents were reported off Somalia, the IMB warned the country’s pirates still maintain the capability to carry out attacks.
