| Recent statistics released by the ICC International | | | | patrol numbers and assistance provided by numerous |
| Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB | | | | international navies as well as sea freight companies |
| PRC) have revealed that piracy on Sea Freight ships | | | | using different routes and preventative measures to |
| was at a six year high in 2009. There were a total of | | | | avoid what has become a very real threat. Another |
| 406 incidents of piracy recorded in 2009; this is by | | | | factor that is having a positive effect on the situation |
| far the highest total since 2003 which is the last time | | | | is the experience and new found awareness of ship |
| more than 400 incidents were reported. | | | | crew and captains. Crews have learnt to be more |
| A detailed breakdown of all the international sea | | | | watchful and wary of suspicious looking ships. |
| freight ships worldwide in 2009, showed that 153 | | | | 2010 could unfortunately be a bit more difficult for |
| ships were boarded by pirates, 49 ships were | | | | navies to monitor as it seems pirates are widening |
| hijacked, 84 attempted attacks and 120 vessels fired | | | | their areas of attack. While in the past, most of the |
| upon. Sixty eight crew were injured in the various | | | | attacks have taken places along the Gulf of Aden, it |
| incidents and eight crew killed. | | | | seems that they have now also moved onto the |
| Shipping agents stated that Somali pirates were | | | | East coast of Somalia and are posing as fishing boats |
| responsible for over 50% of the attacks on ships. | | | | about 1000 nautical miles off Mogadishu. International |
| Most of the Somali attacks on sea freight container | | | | Sea Freight ships have been warned to watch out |
| ships seem to be rather opportunistic in nature and | | | | for fishing boats this far off the coast as they |
| not terribly well planned. Of the 217 ships that were | | | | shouldn’t really be so far out. |
| attacked by Somali pirates in 2009, 47 vessels were | | | | More worrying news is that attacks off the coast of |
| hijacked and 867 crew members were taken | | | | Nigeria are on the rise, and what’s more, |
| hostage during the course of the year. | | | | Nigerians seem to be more willing to use extreme |
| The good news for sea freight forwarding agencies | | | | violence to ensure that they get what they want. |
| is that despite the fact that the number of Somali | | | | One entire crew of a Sea Freight Container ship was |
| attempted hijackings has doubled since 2008, the | | | | reported killed after robbers tried to escape after |
| amount of successful hijackings is significantly less | | | | looting a vessel. |
| than in 2008. This is largely thanks to the increased | | | | |