Brought to you by:

Piracy stable as focus switches to southeast Asia

Southeast Asian waters remain dangerous for commercial vessels, with the region accounting for the bulk of piracy and armed robbery incidents last year, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) says.

There were 246 recorded incidents worldwide, one more than in 2014, while the number of vessels boarded increased 11% to 203.

The number of vessels hijacked fell to 15 from 21, while hostages taken from ships dropped to 271 from 442.

There were no reported hijackings in the last quarter, an improvement driven by increased vigilance around small fuel tankers in southeast Asia.

But the region continues to be a hotbed for pirate attacks.

The IMB gives no breakdown for last year, but says southeast Asia “still accounts for most of the world’s incidents”.

In 2014 the region accounted for 58% of reported piracy incidents, or 141 attacks.

About 55% of the region’s piracy attacks were against vessels under way, up from 37% in 2014.

“Most were aimed at low-level theft,” the IMB says. It says the rise in attacks on moving vessels is a “cause for concern because it increases potential risks to the vessels and their crew”.

The independent agency continues to work closely with Indonesian maritime police and other authorities to monitor high-risk areas.

“The IMB particularly commends the robust actions taken by the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities in the arrest and prosecution of two gangs that hijacked tankers,” bureau director Pottengal Mukundan said.

“We also applaud the subsequent arrest of some of the alleged masterminds.”

The IMB has monitored world piracy since 1991.