Number of pirate attacks drops in first quarter 2019
According to a report of the IMB, a unit of the London (UK)-based ICC, the number of registered cases of piracy at sea and armed attacks on ships decreased significantly over the first three months of this year compared to last year. 38 attacks were reported – at the beginning of last year the figure was 66. For the first time since 1994 no ship was hijacked.
With 22 incidents, the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa was the region most strongly affected. All the 21 abductions of sailors reported worldwide also occurred in this area. Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo also registered pirate attacks. Over the last ten years, Nigeria has been a hot spot for such raids. For the first time the number of incidents has now fallen. (kd)