World sea piracy drops 28 per cent

From correspondents in Kuala Lumpur/ From: AP / April 23, 2012 5:05PM

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/breaking-news/world-sea-piracy-drops-28-per-cent/story-e6frg12u-1226336500293

SEA piracy worldwide dropped 28 per cent in the first quarter of the year, an international maritime watchdog says. Pirate attacks intensified, however, in Nigeria and Indonesia.

The number of worldwide attacks in January to March dipped to 102, down from 142 cases in the same period in 2011, the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur said in a report.

In Somalia, there were 43 attacks, including nine vessel hijackings, compared with 97 attacks a year ago. The agency attributed the decline to "disruptive actions and pre-emptive strikes" by navies in the region.

Multiple navies - including a large US presence - patrol the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean, and many private ships now carry armed guards.

The European Union Naval Force recently said it would expand its mission to include Somalia's coast and waterways inside the country for the first time, making its battle against piracy more proactive.

"It is unlikely that the threat of Somali piracy will diminish in the short to medium term unless further actions are taken," the agency said. "The EU announcement to expand their anti-piracy mission to target pirates ashore is another welcome move that could further threaten the Somali piracy model."

As of the end of March, suspected Somali pirates still held 15 vessels and 253 crew members, with an additional 49 crew members hostage on land, the agency said.

The agency said pirate attacks in Indonesian waters rose to 18 from five in the first quarter last year.

Pirates attacked 10 vessels off Nigeria in the first quarter, equalling the number reported for the whole of last year.

The agency said Nigerian pirates were also responsible for an attack in neighbouring Benin during the period.