Warring parties in Somalia
hijacked yet another ship last month.
A particularly egregious case - and signs of growing sophistication
and coordinated action - is described in the July 1-8 report of the
IMB:
"Six armed pirates boarded a chemical tanker from a small boat and
stole ship's stores. Another group of pirates broke in to engine
room and stole spare parts. Thefts took place in spite of the ship
engaging three shore security watchmen." Piracy incidents have been
reported in India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, the Red
Sea, the Gulf of Aden, Nigeria, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.
According to the ICC Year 2001 Piracy Report, more than 330 attacks
on seafaring vessels were reported last year - down by a quarter
compared to 2000 but 10 percent higher than 1999 and four times the
1991 figure. Piracy rose 40 percent between 1998 and 1999 alone.
Sixteen ships - double the number in 2000 - were captured and taken
over. Eighty seven attacks were reported during the first quarter of
this year - up from 68 in the corresponding period last year. Seven
of these were hijackings - compared to only 1 in the first quarter
of 2001. Nine of every 10 hijacked ships are ultimately recovered,
often with the help of the IMB.
Many masters and shipowners do not report piracy for fear of delays
due to protracted investigations, increased insurance premiums, bad
publicity, and stifling red tape.
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