Piracy and robberies at sea on the rise again
ON OCT 27, a sea robbery onboard a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier was reported to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), which is operated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). This happened in the Strait of Malacca, outside Singapore’s territorial waters, at about 4.30 am, as the vessel was headed for Singapore.
Details are sketchy, but the MRCC directed the vessel to anchor off western Singapore for a search by the Police Coast Guard. Nothing was reported missing, but the ship’s master was injured, and had to be taken ashore for medical treatment. An MPA statement at the time said that he was in “stable” condition.
His injury was not fatal, but the violent nature of the attack is a cause for concern, amid a rise in piracy globally and in the waters off Singapore; the fall in the number of attacks on ships, reported at the start of the year, is reversing and headed north again.
Incidentally, the terminology can be confusing. A “sea robbery” (or “armed robbery”) is one that happens within territorial waters. The word “piracy” is reserved for incidents that take place in international waters, or “the high seas”. Both the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) make this distinction. However, the MPA characterised the Oct 27 incident as a “sea robbery”, though it took place outside Singapore’s territorial waters.
Actually, the terminology does not matter when a ship is being boarded, usually in the dark, by armed criminals hell-bent on doing harm to the crew and stealing property. The concern now is that attacks on ships are not only continuing to happen, but are increasing in frequency.
Last month, the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC) of the International Chamber of Commerce published its report on such incidents in the first nine months of this year. Two areas were singled out for a rise in reported incidents – the Gulf of Guinea (part of the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean off the western African coast) and the Singapore Strait. Ninety-nine incidents of piracy and armed robberies against ships were reported during the period, up from 90 incidents for the corresponding period in 2022.
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The IMB noted that 85 vessels were boarded. Nine experienced attempted attacks, three were hijacked and two were fired upon. Perpetrators successfully boarded 89 per cent of the targeted vessels, with most of these incidents occurring at night.
Reported acts of violence against members of the crew is now at about the lowest in three decades. However, the IMB stressed that the risk to crew members remains real: 69 were taken hostage, 14 kidnapped, eight threatened, three injured and one assaulted.
IMB director Michael Howlett said: “The Gulf of Guinea stands as a region of concern with a rise in reported incidents, as opposed to the downward trend of the past two years. The IMB sees regional ownership as critical to safeguarding shipping and trade, and to addressing these crimes.”
The number of reported incidents rose in the Gulf of Guinea in the first nine months of 2023 to 21, compared to 14 for the same period in 2022. Seventeen were classified as armed robberies, and four as piracy; 54 crew were taken hostage, 14 kidnapped, and two injured.
While the number of incidents is worrying, the IMB PRC says that it appreciates “the strong cooperation from the West African authorities”, and the work by the navies, especially those of Denmark, Italy, Russia, Spain and Portugal in the Gulf of Guinea. It also commended the Nigerian authorities for continuing to provide prompt information and take quick action. The IMB PRC said that it looks forward to the continued cooperation from the West African authorities and the international navies in the area.
Close to home, the Singapore Strait is holding its own as a hotspot: there were 33 reported incidents in the first nine months of 2023, up from 31 in the same period the year before. Overall, 31 vessels were boarded; five crew were taken hostage and two were threatened. In most cases, ship stores or property were reported stolen.
The IMB warned: “Considering the navigational challenges of the Singapore Strait, even low-level opportunistic incidents could potentially increase the risk to safe navigation in these congested waters.”
It could be that we are not getting the whole picture, because IMB has noted that incidents are often reported late or are under-reported. However, it commends local authorities that undertake to investigate nearly all reported incidents.
IMB director Howlett noted: “We encourage reporting any incident, even low-level opportunistic ones, to the local authorities as early as possible to protect seafarers, and to ensure the safety of regional and international shipping and trade.”
The IMB report said: “A general warning issued in December 2019, indicating a sudden rise in incidents in the Singapore Strait – especially at night – is still valid. The incidents are still occurring and increasing. It appears one or more groups are targeting passing ships, including tugs and barges, to rob them. The authorities have been notified and are aware of the situation. Vessels are advised to remain vigilant and to continue maintaining adequate watches and measures.”
Vigilance does pay off, the IMB noted. “Robbers abort (the heist) and move away when the alarm is sounded, and the authorities are notified. Therefore, a strict watch is necessary.”
The IMB also said pointed out that an increase in the number of incidents in the Indonesian archipelago, where 12 incidents were reported. In the same period in 2020, there were 10 incidents; in 2021, there were seven. Knives were used by the perpetrators in five of the 12 incidents.
Worldwide, the situation is mixed. Considerable effort is being put into suppressing piracy and robbery in the high-risk areas, but there is no “silver bullet” and we remain a long way from keeping the world’s seafarers safe from violent criminal gangs.
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