Piracy remains a major concern for global [ds_preview]shipping companies. Especially waters off Nigeria and the southern Philippines continue to pose a significant threat, says Dryad Maritime.
The security consultancy reported 62 people were kidnapped worldwide in 2016 in comparison to 19 in 2015 and only 9 in 2014. »While the number of mariners involved is small compared to those held hostage at the height of the Somali pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean, it is nevertheless a significant increase«, it was said in a recently published market report.
According to Dryad, last year alone the number of pirate attacks off Nigeria increased by over 50%. The figure of 49 attacks at sea for 2016 is a marked increase on the 2015 total of 20 attacks. The number of crew kidnapped (51) is also significantly greater than the 31 abducted for ransom the previous year.
The latest example of the German-owned vessel »BBC Caribbean« from Leer-based Reederei Briese, which was hijacked last week, showed that there are still huge security problems not only in Asia, but also in West Africa.
Dryad maritime reports that kidnaps in the Sulu Sea and West Africa are likely the result of an increase in the activity of armed groups linked to militant organisations such as Abu Sayyaf whose modus operandi is to ambush ships and seize crew for lucrative ransoms.
Graeme Gibbon Brooks, CEO Dryad Maritime, said »The overall global decline in maritime security incidents last year comes as welcome news to the industry but there is no place for complacency. The rise in the number of kidnaps at sea for ransom continues to pose a significant security challenge to seafarers and shipowners that cannot be ignored.«
However, the overall trend is not that negative. Despite the 12-month spike in kidnappings worldwide pirate attacks continue to fall as a result of the improved safe guarding of vessels and more efficient international naval patrols. Since 2012 world piracy has steadily dropped off; in 2016 only 191 cases of piracy on the high seas were recorded as opposed to 246 in 2015.
