Figures show Asian piracy in decline but no room for complaceny warns ReCAAP

The International Union of Marine Insurers (IUMI) recently stressed, however, that the threat to shipping remains very real in the Asia Pacific region and said that the reported figures may be misleading. ReCAAP reported that there was a total of 14 incidents of robbery on board ships from January to March this year compared with 44 incidents of piracy and robbery during January to March last year. No piracy incident was reported during the reporting period. But ReCAAP appeared to agree with IUMI’s earlier statement as it warned that there is no room for complacency and said more needs to be done. “The ReCAAP ISC continues to encourage closer cooperation and coordination among littoral states [those with shorelines], shipping industry and relevant stakeholders towards further improvement of the situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Asian region,” it stated. But overall the news is good.hideThe total number of inci-dents reported during January-March 2016 was also the lowest compared to the same in past four years (2012-2015). ReCAAP reported that of the 14 incidents, 10 occurred in India, and remaining four in China, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. Twelve of the 14 incidents occurred on board ships while at anchor or berth and two incidents on board ships underway. During the period there was no reported hijacking of tankers for theft of oil cargo and no unauthorised boarding of ships while underway in the Singapore Straits, stated ReCAAP. Indeed, no such incidents had been reported since September 2015 and December 2015 respectively. “Except for the incident which involved the kidnapping of crew for ransom off the Philippines which is a Category 1 incident, the other incidents reported during January-March 2016 were relatively less severe in nature compared to incidents reported during the same period in the past four years,” commented ReCAAP. The body added that the “intensive” enforcement by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in waters off India’s ports and anchorages, had led to the arrest of several suspects on February 22. “No incident was reported there since then till March 2016,” stated ReCAAP. ReCAAP ISC said that almost half of the incidents reported during January-March 2016 involved groups of 1 to 6 men. Close to three-quarters of the incidents indicated that the perpetrators were either not armed or there was no information available on the weapons carried by the perpetrators. The majority of the incidents (79%) reported that the crew did not suffer any injuries or there was no information about how the crew was treated. ReCAAP ISC said that, of the incidents where losses were reported, theft of ship stores made up a higher proportion of the economic losses. “There is no evidence to indicate that a particular type of ship was being targeted. More often than not, the perpetrators boarded ships with crew who are less vigilant,” it stated. The recent reduction in shipping attacks in Asia reverses a trend seen last year. According to ReCAAP there was a total of 200 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia last year. This represented a 7% increase in the number of incidents compared to 2014. Despite the headline worsening of the situation ReCAAP said that it had also observed several positive trends in recent months that were confirmed by the first quarter numbers. “First is the number of oil cargo thefts which was reported since April 2014 and continued till August 2015 with about an average of 1-2 incidents per month. No incident of oil cargo theft was reported since then,” said the anti-piracy body. “Secondly, the number of incidents in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, mostly occurred in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait, which reached its peak of an average of about 10 incidents a month till November 2015 when an attempted case was reported. No report of such incident was reported since then,” it added. ReCAAP said that the improvement in both areas can be attributed to the apprehension of “masterminds” and perpetrators by the littoral States and enforcement agencies. “In 2015, arrests of masterminds and perpetrators involved in four separate oil cargo thefts were made. Arrests of two groups of perpetrators responsible for incidents in the Singapore Strait were also reported. These improvements had continued into the first two months of 2016 and we witnessed the lowest number of incidents in February 2016 with three reported incidents,” stated ReCAAP. It added that the apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators involved in piracy and armed robbery against ships can only be brought about through co-operative efforts among all stakeholders, including timely reporting by seafarers, quick response from enforcement agencies, and most importantly, close co-operation among all stakeholders, on land and at sea. Earlier this year the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) published a position paper on piracy and its suppression that suggested that the figures may be improving but can be misleading. “The headlines and documentaries have abated, but the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in Kuala Lumpur consistently reports incidences of piracy around the globe’s tropical midriff. All observers agree there is under-reporting of incidents by owners. Although IMO [International Maritime Organisation] reports are drawn from a wide range of sources, including IMB, it is unclear what awareness owners gain from them or which deterrence measures are most effective,” stated IUMI. “In Asia, cargo underwriters are acutely aware of escalating criminality in the South China Sea, off the Malay Peninsula. The majority of this activity is taking place outside the Straits of Malacca, the pirates’ traditional hunting ground. While the countries around the straits were compelled to take action some years ago in the form of radar surveillance and the establishment of patrols in the narrow straits, there is no corresponding system off eastern Malaysia,” warned the Institute. Neil Roberts, Manager, Marine and Aviation, Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA) in London, and IUMI Ocean Hull Committee Secretary and Political Forum Liaison, added some core advice on risk management to cope with this risk in IUMI’s latest newsletter. “Mitigation can include careful route planning, reporting to authorities, high speed, raised awareness and the use of razor wire, fire hoses and on-board security teams,” said Mr Roberts. “The relative efficiency of each measure is still generally unknown outside of those directly involved despite attempts to encourage reporting of effectiveness. For most ships, a mature approach to security, including enhanced watch-keeping facilitated by increased crew numbers, would be 90% of the answer. However, even with these options, the best defence remains staying out of the pirates’ reach. What lies ahead is not easily predicted but there is no doubt that owners and insurers must remain vigilant.”

Figures show Asian piracy in decline but no room for complaceny warns ReCAAP

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