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World sea piracy falls for third straight year
World sea piracy fell for a third straight year in 2013, as Somali pirates were curbed by international naval patrols and improved ship vigilance, an international maritime watchdog said Wednesday
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orldsea piracy fell for a third straight year in 2013, as Somali pirates werecurbed by international naval patrols and improved ship vigilance, an international maritime watchdog said Wednesday.
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said global pirate attacks fell to a six-year low of 264, down from 297 in 2012 and 439 in 2011. Pirate attacks have declined since hitting a peak in 2010 with 445 attacks.
A total of 12 vessels were hijacked, with more than 300 crew members taken hostage and one killed during 2013, according to data compiled by the London-based bureau's piracy reporting center in Malaysia. 'The single biggest reason for the drop in worldwide piracy is the decrease in Somali piracy off the coast of East Africa,' said IMB director, Capt. Pottengal Mukundan.
Across the Indonesian archipelago, the IMB said piracy has surged but were mainly 'low-level opportunistic thefts'. A total of 106 cases were reported, up from 81 in 2012, it said. The IMB said it was working closely with Indonesian marine police, who have increased patrols and designated safe anchorage areas for use in higher risk ports.
