IMO: 150 piracy incidents reported worldwide in 2023, increasing risk by 15%!

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The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has released its annual Maritime Security Report for 2023.

According to information on the piracy and armed robbery module in IMO's Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), a total of 150 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported to IMO in 2023. Compared to a total of 131 reported in 2022, the number of security incidents worldwide increased by about 15% in 2023.

As the chart shows, the areas with the highest number of piracy and armed robbery incidents in 2023 are the Strait of Malacca and Singapore (85 incidents), West Africa (22 incidents), the South China Sea (14 incidents) and the Pacific waters of South America (14 incidents). This was followed by the Indian Ocean (5 cases), the Caribbean Sea of South America (4 cases), the Arabian Sea (2 cases), East Africa (2 cases), the Atlantic Ocean of South America (1 case) and the Mediterranean Sea (1 case).

The IMO said the number of incidents in the Gulf of Guinea (West Africa) in 2023 was one more than the 21 reported in 2022, an increase of about 5%. In 2023, the number of incidents involving hostages/crew abductions increased by three to five, with a total of 68 crew members reported as hostages/abductions. About 18 percent of incidents in the region occurred in international waters and 82 percent occurred in port areas.

Incidents in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore region increased to 85 from 72 reported in 2022. About 74 percent of the incidents in the 2023 report targeted ships traveling in these straits, compared to about 47 percent of incidents globally in 2023 that attacked ships in motion.

The number of incidents in the South China Sea region increased by 10, or 250 percent, from the four reported to the IMO in 2022, but was similar to the 15 incidents reported in the same period in 2021, the report said.

The total number of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Latin America and the Caribbean was five fewer than the 24 reported in 2022. This total includes incidents in the Pacific region of Latin America, which remained at 14, while incidents in the Atlantic region of Latin America declined by five to one in 2023. The number of incidents in the Caribbean was on par with 2022, when four incidents were reported.

The data shows that the total number of crew members hijacked/kidnapped in 2023 remains at 92, an increase from 24 crew members in 2022. In the 2023 incident in West Africa, about 74% of crew members were reported to have been hijacked/kidnapped. According to the statistical data of IMO, the ships in the sea area where the above high-frequency incidents occur should be vigilant, the personnel on board should be psychologically prepared in advance, and the corresponding preventive measures should be given for the key attack areas of the ships to effectively protect personal safety at sea.