The Gulf of Guinea remains a hotspot for piracy and armed robbery activities against ships, according to a report.
Consistent gun and knife-related incidents have led maritime authorities to have “concerns over continued threats to the safety and security of seafarers”.
This is despite lower global rates of piracy and armed robbery being recorded in 2019 than in 2018.
A report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), a division of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), revealed that 119 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships have been reported worldwide in 2019, compared to 156 incidents in the same period of 2018.
The Gulf of Guinea, in western Africa off the coast of Nigeria, is where nearly 82% of crew kidnappings are recorded to have taken place globally, said the IMB.
The highest number of actual or attempted attacks took place in Nigeria and account for 29 of the total.
Pottengal Mukundan, director at the IMB, said: “Although incidents are down, the Gulf of Guinea continues to be a concern for piracy and armed robbery-related activities with kidnappings of crew members increasing in both scale and frequency.”
Attacks have occurred in the region on various ships between January and September, including general cargo vessels, a bulk carrier, and tankers carrying chemicals, liquified petroleum gas and other product.
The most common vessels to be attacked are bulk carriers and tankers containing chemicals or product, according to the report.
“This demonstrates the range of piracy activity in the Gulf of Guinea and that all types of ships are vulnerable to attack,” said the report.
Indonesia has also been heavily affected by piracy and armed robbery attacks with 20 recorded incidents in 2019, the second highest amount of attacks globally, according to the IMB.
Piracy has declined in Indonesia since 2015, according to the report, in part due to the Indonesian Marine Police and the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre sharing information.
Mukundan warned: “It is important that shipmasters and owners continue to report all actual, attempted, and suspected incidents to ensure that an accurate picture of these attacks emerge and action is taken against these criminals before the incidents further escalate.”
In June an IMB symposium was told around 10 groups of pirates were responsible for the majority of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea and they were well organised and motivated.
Dakuku Peterside, director general and CEO of the Nigerian Maritime Authority and Safety Agency told the meeting initiatives were underway to improve the joint capacity of Nigerian law enforcement and the Navy to make seafarer kidnappings ‘history’.
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