After the recent uptick in piracy, the Maritime Administration is warning seafarers to stay vigilant in the Gulf of Guinea and in the Sulu and Celebes seas.
In the Gulf of Guinea, the US government agency said hijackings, kidnappings for ransom and boardings to steal valuables have shot up to 10-year highs, while kidnappings in the Sulu and Celebes seas were perpetrated by a Filipino Islamic separatist group, the Abu Sayyaf Group.
"[Kidnap for ransom] groups generally kidnap two to six high value crewmembers to include the master, chief engineer, and any western crewmembers," the alert for the Gulf of Guinea read. "There were, however, several incidents over the past year where more than ten crewmembers were kidnapped during a boarding."
Mariners taken during Gulf of Guinea kidnappings are usually taken to the Niger Delta region.
In the Sulu and Celebes seas, at least 12 reported boardings, attempted boardings, attacks, hijackings, and kidnappings in 2018, the alert said, while recommending strict lookouts, especially at night.
According to the International Maritime Bureau, incidents of piracy jumped in 2018, with 201 incidents worldwide versus 180 in 2017 and 191 in 2016.
The increase was driven, primarily, by attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, where IMB officials believe they record just 40% of all attacks on vessels.
Meanwhile, attacks in the waters off the Philippines and Indonesia remained high, though decreasing due to action by the Indonesian Maritime Police. They were two of seven countries accounting for 69% of all attacks.
