Pirate attacks down in first quarter: IMB

Stepped up naval patrols in the Gulf of Aden have contributed to a worldwide decline in pirate attacks during the past three months, although the risk of piracy off Somalia remained high, a watchdog said yesterday.

Sixty-seven incidents of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas were reported around the world in the first quarter of 2010, down from 102 in the same period last year, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said.

The decrease was attributed at least partly to a dramatic decline in attacks in the Gulf of Aden, where reported incidents fell to 17 from 41 last year.

"With the increased naval presence in the Gulf of Aden, stopping and disarming suspicious pirates, the pirates did not have a chance to launch their attacks," said Noel Choong, head of the IMB's piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Since 2008 an international armada has been patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes, in a bid to stop pirates from hijacking commercial vessels.

Choong said that attacks by Somali pirates remained high and that the number in the first quarter was "hard to be used as a projection for the whole year".

The IMB said it received reports of 11 vessels being hijacked in the first three months with another 18 fired upon and 12 attempted attacks. A total of 194 crew members were taken hostage with 12 injured.

According to the watchdog, Somali pirates were responsible for 35 out of 67 incidents recorded in the first quarter. The range of attacks extended from Oman in the Arabian Sea to far south in the Mozambique Channel. They were also operating in the Indian Ocean.

"The diverse location of the attacks demonstrates the increased range and capabilities of the Somali pirates," IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan said in a statement. "Attacks so distant from the Somali coast can only be facilitated with the use of mother ships."

Off the east and south coasts of Somalia, 18 incidents were recorded in the first three months, compared with 21 in the same period in 2009. "This decrease in attacks could be due to the specific naval targeting in addition to the north-east monsoons in the area, which weakened towards the end of February and beginning of March," IMB said.

In other African waters, only two incidents were reported in Nigeria. No incidents were reported in the Malacca and Singapore Straits.

Pirates seize Bulk Carrier

Four suspected Somali pirates carrying AK-47s and a rocket-propelled grenade have seized a bulk carrier with 21 crew on board, the fourth ship pirates have seized in less than a week.

Commander John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force, said the Panamanian-flagged, Liberian-owned Voc Daisy was taken about 300km outside the corridor where international warships guard convoys of merchant vessels. The hijacking follows an attack on three Thai fishing vessels on Sunday.

According to an Associated Press count, pirates now hold 15 vessels and 326 crew.

The Voc Daisy, which had been heading from the UAE towards the Suez Canal, was registered with security officials and raised an alarm before the armed attack. (AP)

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