Somali piracy in decline but threat remains

[MOGADISHU, Somalia] Off the coast of Somalia, a sailor on board the French ship Sirocco observes two dhows through binoculars, establishing they are both bona fide fishing vessels.

If the coast of the autonomous region of Puntland is still home to pirates, they take to the seas a lot less frequently than they used to.

The presence of an international armada and the deterrents put in place by shipping companies have reduced piracy off the Somali coast and in the Gulf of Aden to practically nothing. But the threat is still very present.

According to the European anti-piracy fleet Atalanta, the last capture of a major vessel by pirates dates back to May 2012.

Since then several vessels have been attacked or targeted but the pirates have not …