The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reports that during the first quarter of 2023, 27 pirate attacks were recorded worldwide, the lowest number since 1993 and a significant decrease compared to the 37 incidents that occurred in the same period last year. However, the IMB continues to urge ships, crews, and authorities to maintain vigilance and response from international navies as the threat of violence to crews still persists.
Regarding the types of incidents, there were 24 ship boardings, one hijacking, and two attempted attacks. Despite the decrease in attack figures, the threat of violence to crews still persists. In the first three months of this year, six crew members were kidnapped, two taken as hostages, two threatened, and one assaulted.
In the past three months, the waters of the Gulf of Guinea recorded five incidents, compared to eight in the first quarter of 2022 and 16 in the same period of 2021. The most significant attack occurred on March 25, when a tanker was hijacked 140 miles southwest of Pointe Noire (Congo) and six crew members were kidnapped. The ship was found five days later by a unit of the French Navy.
According to Michael Howlett, director of IMB, it is still necessary to maintain “continuous, robust and coordinated regional and international naval presence that acts as a deterrent to prevent and respond to piracy.”
Almost 30% of pirate attacks recorded worldwide between January and March 2023 took place in the waters of the Singapore Strait, with a total of eight incidents. Although these are usually cases of minor theft, the violence is still a concern.
The IMB points out that the anchorage of the port of Callao in Peru remains a particularly worrying area, as the five recorded attacks do not represent an improvement compared to previous years, and crews remain in danger, with two sailors taken as hostages, one assaulted, and another threatened.
If you want to get the full IMB report on piracy and armed robbery for the first quarter of 2023, you can request it at the following link.