Piracy is on the rise in key global shipping lanes. There were 120 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships reported in 2023, compared to 115 in 2022, according to the annual Piracy and Armed Robbery Report of the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

The IMB also found increased threats to crew safety, with the number of crews taken hostage rising from 41 to 73 in 2023, and crews kidnapped from 2 to 14. These numbers have continued to rise during the current year. According to maritime security firm Dryad Global, shipping from the coast of the Horn of Africa to the coast of India is considered a “high risk zone.”

There are 25 countries in the region with their naval forces, but given the size of the area, the numbers are not a sufficient guarantee of safe navigation. An increase in piracy has also been recorded in the Gulf of Guinea.

The Singapore Straits is another area giving cause for concern with a sharp increase in piracy incidents and Bangladesh is starting to suffer a major increase in attacks.

We must find a solution to this problem to make our ships and seafarers safe from these attacks.