Maritime Bureau Records 12 Piracy Incidents In Six Months

International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has recorded 12 incidents against ships in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) between January and June 2022.

It is the lowest number of reported piracy incidents across the globe in 28 years.

The bureau explained that the 12 incidents reported in the Gulf of Guinea in the first half of the year include 10 armed robberies and two piracy, saying that the overall number of incidents fell.

However, it warned against complacency as such a high proportion of incidents resulted in boarding.

Although there were no crew kidnappings in the first half of 2022, 28 crews were impacted by attacks, including 23crew taken hostage and five crew threatened.

It noted that 30 bulkers were targeted in the period, along with 18 tankers, five container ships and five other ships. 32 of the ships were anchored, 19 were steaming and seven were berthed when attacked.

IMB stated that in one incident where a Panamax bulk carrier was boarded 260 nautical miles off Ghana; IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) alerted authorities and navies in the region, leading to the intervention of an Italian Navy warship and its helicopter.

It said: “IMB PRC commends the prompt and positive actions of the Italian Navy which undoubtedly resulted in the crew and ship being saved. It urges the Coastal response agencies and independent international navies to continue their efforts to ensure this crime is permanently addressed in these waters which account for 74 per cent of the crew taken hostage globally,”

However, the bureau explained that piracy remained a threat in the Singapore Strait, where all 16 reported incidents resulted in successful boarding, accounting for over a quarter of incidents globally in the first half of the year.