Did piracy take a break?
There is a moderate reduction in piracy activities worldwide, as the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reports in its latest study. The IMB is a department of the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce.
The reported incidents declined by 2.6% from 38 to 37 in Q1/2022. Nearly half them occurred in Southeast Asian waters, particularly in the Singapore Straits, while the previous title holder, West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, saw a reduction. 30% of all incidents took place in the Singapore Straits. Out of the total of eleven incidents reported in these waters, two crewmen were threatened, and one taken hostage.
As a region, South American ports account for 27% of the global incidents, with ten reported events. Callao anchorage in Peru remains a particular area of concern, with six incidents reported in the first three months of 2022 compared to five incidents during the same period last year. (sh)