Piracy hasn't gone away

THERE have been unwelcome reminders recently that piracy is still a real threat to shipping in several regions of the world, including South-east Asia.

Last week's hijacking of a bunker tanker with eight crew on board by Somali pirates came as a shock to the international shipping industry. The attack on the Aris 13, off Puntland, Somalia, prompted International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general Kitack Lim to urge the industry to apply IMO guidance and best-management practices to avert possible piracy attacks.

He said: "While we have seen a very welcome decline in piracy off Somalia since th…