Ship piracy up, Somali and Nigerian waters worsen

LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Acts of ocean piracy rose 10 percent in 2007, the first increase for three years, with waters off Nigeria and Somalia topping a list of the world's most dangerous, a ship piracy watchdog said on Wednesday.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said in its yearly report that attacks globally on shipping rose to 263 from 239 in 2006.

"The significant increase in the numbers can be directly attributed to the increase in incidents in Nigeria and Somalia," IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan said.

"These two countries account for 42 and 31 of the 2007 figures respectively, compared with 12 and 10 attacks in 2006," he said in a statement.

Merchant shipping carries more than 90 percent of the world's traded goods by volume.
The IMB said armed attacks on merchant ships had increased, with well-armed robbers showing no hesitation in assaulting and injuring crew.

Guns were the weapons of choice in 72 attacks -- an increase of 35 percent in 2007, it said, citing 64 crew members assaulted and injured last year compared with 17 in 2006.
The IMB said a total of 18 vessels were hijacked in 2007 compared with 14 in 2006, while 292 crew members were taken hostage compared with 188 in 2006. Five crew were killed with three still reported as missing.

It said most of the violent attacks occured off the coast of Somalia, which has suffered from lawlessness since warlords overthrew dictator Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991.
In Somalia, which saw the highest number of hostages taken, 154 in 11 hijackings, the IMB said the intervention of the United Nations and international naval forces might be the only way forward in controlling the scourge.

Mukundan said statistics showed the majority of attacks in Nigeria were concentrated in a couple of hotspots.

Out of 35 vessels boarded in Nigeria, 25 attacks occurred in Lagos, while attacks and kidnappings in the Delta region were excused by the perpetrators as politically-motivated.
On a positive note, the IMB said Indonesia -- a former piracy hotspot -- had seen a continued downturn in attacks. It also praised authorities in Bangladesh for reducing incidents to 15 from 47 in 2006. (Reporting by Stefano Ambrogi, editing by Anthony Barker)

Source: Guardian