Amahlo-Suritec‘s August 2017 Piracy Report #piracy #maritime #security #marsec

July 2017 - Piracy Report

Analysis

Incidents of piracy and robbery of vessels were low in August 2017. Total incidents in both the Gulf of Guinea and Southeast Asia were lower in the first eight months of 2017 than the preceding two years.

Nigeria, the Strait of Malacca and the Philippines are currently the areas with the highest geographical concentration of incidents of piracy and robbery of vessels. Venezuela also recorded relatively high incidents in 2017.

Military operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu, Philippines as well as trilateral maritime patrols between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have suppressed maritime kidnappings in the Sulu and Celebes Seas on the short term. Crew should however still exercise vigilance, control access to and on the vessel and maintain regular communication with their shipping company.

On the coast of Nigeria 48 crew and passengers of vessels were kidnapped during seven reported incidents from January to end of July 2017. No kidnappings of crew were reported in August 2017.

Houthi rebels once again launched an attacked with a remote controlled boat packed with explosives in the Port of Mokha, Yemen in August 2017. The target was an United Arab Emirates naval vessel.

The socio-economic and political crisis in Venezuela is effecting maritime security. Seven incidents of robbery and attempted robbery on tankers and cargo vessels were reported at Puerto La Cruz anchorages in Venezuela from January to end of August 2017. The incidents can be classified as petty theft and are non violent in most cases. A few predatory attacks from gangs of fishermen on other fishermen are reported off the State of Sucre and on Lake Maracaibo. It is likely that attacks are under reported. Attacks are extremely violent often leading to deaths of fishermen.

The current security situation combined with attacks on yachts in previous years, resulted in a decline in visiting yachts to Venezuela. Risks to yachts remain very high in this area.

Full report is available to download here: