Whilst those responsible do not deserve any publicity whatsoever, it is a sad fact that pirate attacks off the Somali coast have been on the rise again, and elsewhere. One such example was on 9th November when the intended target had been the Danish flagged vessel Torm Kansas, laden with 35,000 tonnes of oil products.

She was attacked by pirates while en-route from Sikka, India to Mossel Bay in South Africa. The attack came barely five days after two other vessels came under attack from pirates in the Indian Ocean. Thankfully this attack was deterred by the ship but a passage through the pirate risk areas places a premium on the cargoes being shipped.

In May 2008, the Gulf of Aden was classified as a war risk area by Lloyds Market Association Joint War Committee, a move that led shipping lines to introduce risk premiums. The premiums have since increased 300 fold from $500 per ship, per voyage; to up to $150,000 per ship, per voyage, in 2010. The shipping lines also charge kidnap and ransom fees that cover the crew against ransom demands, but not the vessel or cargo. An insurance premium that covers goods transported along the Somali coast is also levied by the liners.