- Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries reports trends in global piracy incidents through Q3 2021 -

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister MOON, Seong-Hyeok) announced trends in global piracy, based on status reports on piracy and armed robbery incidents for 2021, through Q3 (January to September), announced by the International Chamber of Commerce-International Maritime Bureau (ICC-IMB).

For the first nine months of 2021, a total of 97 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported, a reduction by 27% year-on-year (132 incidents in 2020). The decreases mainly come from the significant reductions in West Africa and Asia.

* (West African oceans) 28 cases, 36.4% reduction year-on-year (44 cases in 2020) There were a total of 51 crew kidnapped, a reduction by 40% year-on-year (85 in 2020), all within West African waters.

Upon analysis of the figures by key sea regions, West Africa had a total of 28 cases, a reduction by 36% year-on-year (44 in 2020), with the large reduction (approximately 76%) in the number of piracy incidents across Nigerian oceans playing a pivotal role.

Such reductions in West African piracy can be largely contributed to the active anti-piracy activities of the Nigerian administration, including the implementation of the ‘Deep Blue Project’^*and the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act(2019).

* The Nigerian government’s integrated maritime security project to modernize maritime assets, including vessels fast boats, helicopters, and drones, and implement a stakeholder cooperation framework to eradicate piracy

While the number of abductions in West African waters decreased by about 36% from 80 cases year-on-year, most of the incidents in recent years have been concentrated in West Africa. With all abduction incidents being reported within West Africa this year, it is essential to continue improving the level of security and vigilance.

A total of 39 piracy incidents were reported in Asia, a 37% reduction year-on-year (62 in 2020), supported by the enhanced patrol activities of many coastal authorities, including Indonesia. However, there has been a spike in piracy within the Singapore Strait, a main passageway of Korean vessels, making up about 51% of the piracy in Asia.

As most piracy in Asian waters takes the form of simple robbery, with identified pirates tending to flee, it is necessary to strengthen responses, such as by placing crew members on perimeter surveillance in addition to placing crew on duty for ships that are moored or navigating.

The Americas recorded 28 incidents, an increase by 27% year-on-year (22 in 2020), all within the waters of the Middle and South Americas.

While most incidents in the Americas are cases of simple robbery, similar to those of Asia, more vigilance is required as there are also cases of abductions (4 crew members) by armed pirates.

Meanwhile, there was one case in Somalian waters, near the Gulf of Aden, in January of this year, where a pirate-suspected skiff approached a bulk carrier in navigation but fled after the response mounted by the Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel(PCASP).

Director Goh, Jun-Seong of the Maritime Safety Management Division at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries explained that “while the total number of piracy incidents has decreased year-on-year, we have seen sea regions with increased incidents, such as the Singapore Strait and the waters of the Americas,” and added, “as there are still a lot of ransom incidents in the West African waters in particular, necessary precautions for piracy prevention need to be thoroughly taken by referring to the recent piracy trend reports and guidelines on the prevention and responses to piracy incidents provided by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.”