REPORT: SHIP PIRACY ATTACKS REACH “ALARMING LEVELS”
REPORT: SHIP PIRACY ATTACKS REACH “ALARMING LEVELS”
Pirate attacks rose last year by 57 percent compared with 1999 figures and were nearly four and half times higher when compared with 1991, according to a report by the International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber of Commerce.
In its annual “Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships Report” for 2000, the bureau reported a total of 469 attacks on ships either at sea, at anchor or in port.
“The violence used in the attacks also rose to new levels, with 72 seafarers killed and 99 injured in 2000, up from 3 killed and 24 injured the previous year,” the International Chamber of Commerce said. The number of hostages taken halved to 202 seafarers. Ships were boarded in 307 instances and a total of eight ships were hijacked.
International Maritime Bureau believes that a large number of attacks remain unreported and reports of more incidents relating to 2000 are expected in the coming months.
The figures “show an alarming rise in piracy and armed robbery in Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Malacca Straits, India, Ecuador and the Red Sea,” the International Maritime Bureau said.
Indonesia recorded the highest number of attacks, accounting for almost one quarter of the world total with 119 incidents. But there are no signs that the number of attacks will drop, unless Indonesia takes serious steps to address the problem, the bureau said.
Amongst other world hotspots, the Malacca Straits witnessed a dramatic rise in attacks, up to 75 from 2 in 1999, despite the efforts of the Royal Malaysian Police to step up patrols in the area to tackle the problem.
Third place in the 2000 table went to Bangladesh, with 55 attacks, up from 25 attacks in 1999. The Bangladeshi authorities have since taken action of their own, which resulted in a drop in attacks during the latter part of the year.
Other substantial rises were recorded in India (35, up from 14 in 1999), Ecuador (13, up from 2 in 1999), and 13 attempted boardings on ships in the southern part of the Red Sea, where previously there had been no pirate activity. One of the few areas to see a downturn in activity was the Singapore Straits (5 incidents, down from 14).
The annual report also draws attention to IMB’s recent initiative to take the fight against piracy onto the Internet with weekly updates of attacks and warnings. The address for the weekly report is www.icc-ccs.org .
The work of the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre is funded by 17 organizations, mostly Protection & Indemnity Clubs, ship owners and insurers.