Hijackings up despite fewer piracy incidents: IMB

14/01/15

The number of reported vessel hijackings rose by 75pc last year — compared with a year earlier — to 21, despite a reduction in global piracy incidents.

Global incidents of piracy fell by 7pc last year compared with a year earlier, and by 44pc compared with 2011, to 245 incidents, according to data from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) piracy report. Of the 245 incidents, 183 vessels were boarded and 21 were hijacked in actual attacks, while 13 vessels were fired upon and 28 vessels encountered attempted attacks.

The report shows last year's total incident rate was down from 439 in 2011, the peak year of Somalian piracy, as incidents at sea fell to their lowest level in eight years. Recorded Somali pirate attacks fell to just 11 last year, all of which were unsuccessful.

Vessel hijackings increased because of a rise in attacks against coastal tankers in southeast Asia, IMB director Pottengral Mukundan said today. Hijacking was particularly prominent in the waters around Pulau Bintan and the South China Sea, where 11 vessels were hijacked in 2014.

"Gangs of armed thieves have attacked small tankers in the region for their cargoes, many looking specifically for marine diesel and gas oil to steal and then sell", said Mukundan.

Chemical and product tankers continued to experience the highest target rates, with 86 attacks globally, up by 5pc from 2013. But crude tanker attacks fell by 38pc on the year, to 24 incidents.

Tanker attacks fell by 8pc to 123 last year, from 133 in 2013, while the number of bulk carriers attacked rose to 55 from 53.

South East Asia continues to see an increasing number of incidents, with 141 reported in 2014, up by 10pc from 2013. The region now represents 58pc of global piracy incidents, up by 9pc from 2013.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Nigeria and the Singapore Straits accounted for 75pc of all incidents.

Attacks in Nigeria were down to 18, from 31 in 2013. Of the 18 attacks, 14 involved tankers, mainly carrying oil products.

Incidents in Bangladesh — the majority of which were low-level thefts from anchored vessels — increased by 75pc to reach 21,.

jc/et

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