U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Reports, 16 July - 13 August 2025

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Reports, 16 July - 13 August 2025 by lawofsea

Attacks on Merchant Shipping So Far in 2020

From the good people at the ICCC CCS IMB Piracy & Armed Robbery Map 2020 here a snapshot of where the actions against shipping and ship's crew lie:

Worldwide

West Africa/Gulf of Guinea

Southeast Asia/Philippines

Gulf of Mexico/Central and South America

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 19 June - 24 July 2019 and HORN OF AFRICA/GULF OF GUINEA/SOUTHEAST ASIA Weekly Piracy Update for 18 - 24 July 2019

U.S. Navy Office of Naval I... by lawofsea on Scribd

U.S. Navy Office of Naval I... by lawofsea on Scribd

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 25 December 2018 - 23 January 2019 and HORN OF AFRICA/GULF OF GUINEA/ SOUTHEAST ASIA: Piracy Analysis and Warning Weekly (PAWW) Report for 17 - 23 January 2019

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval I... by on Scribd

Piracy 2018 (thus far) and 2017

Courtesy of the ICC's IMB Piracy and Armed Robbery Map

2018 as of 10 April

2017 Total:

2017 Africa/Indian Ocean:

2017 Asia:

2017 Americas:

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 9 January - 9 February 2017

Of particular interest are the first three entries in the "Warnings and Advisories" section, Part 2 of the message.

Also worth noting is that the kidnapping of ship crews and others continues off Nigeria.

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 9 January - 9 February 201... by lawofsea on Scribd

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 20 September - 19 October 2016

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 20 September - 19 October... by lawofsea on Scribd

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 23 August - 21 September 2016

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 23 August - 21 September 2... by lawofsea on Scribd

Here's An Interesting Piracy/ISIS Warning for the Yachts in the Mediterranean

From the Marshall Islands Vessel Registry (hat tip Lars Bergqvist):

YACHT SAFETY ADVISORY YSA-1-15

To: Commercial and Private Yacht Masters, Owners, Yacht Managers, Agents, Classification Societies and Appointed Representatives
Subject: ISIS THREAT TO YACHTS
Date: 23 February 2015
Please be advised that yachts and other shipping in the Mediterranean could come under attack from heavily armed ISIS fighters using speedboats to conduct attacks from the Libyan coast. It is feared that luxury yachts could be singled out as part of a piracy campaign that would threaten shipping from Gibraltar to Greece. ISIS pirates would pose a greater danger than the Somalis who have attacked shipping in the Indian Ocean because they are better armed.

We've seen warnings like this in the past about Somali pirates teaming up with terrorists and al Qaeda taking to the sea.

Sea Pirates: Reverting to Form

There was a time - before the private security ship-riding teams and before the EU, NATO,China, Japan, South Korea, the U.S. (and, of course, the mighty battle fleets of Iran) took on patrolling the Gulf of Aden and Somalia's shores- when piracy was a hot topic and a true danger to shipping transiting the upper Indian Ocean.

Of course, the failed and corrupt "state" of Somalia sitting on major sea lanes was necessary jumping off point for most of the area's pirates until the de facto blockade of its known pirate bases coupled with the convoys and private security teams has apparently severely limited the scope Somali pirate activity.

What piracy concerns remain?

Well, of course, the increase in hijacking off Nigeria and in the Gulf of Guinea.

Then it's back to the pattern of days before Somalis in small boats loaded with AK-47s and RPGs bothered the high seas - back to the days of low grade theft, muggings and sea robbers.

This is best illustrated by some reports. First, from the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence's
Worldwide Threats to Shipping Report (in this case dated 21 August 2013:

2. (U) Summary
1. (U) BANGLADESH: On 16 August, an anchored container ship was boarded at the Chittagong Anchorage.
2. (U) NIGERIA: On 15 August, an anchored tanker experienced an attempted boarding at the Lagos Anchorage.
3. (U) BANGLADESH: On 15 August, a fishing trawler was hijacked, along with the kidnapping of 15 fishermen, along the Meghna River under Hatia upazila of Noakhali.
4. (U) NIGERIA: On 15 August, a product tanker was boarded in the Gulf of Guinea.
5. (U) BANGLADESH: On 14 August, two fishing trawlers were hijacked, along with the kidnapping of 21 fishermen, along the Meghna River.
6. (U) NIGERIA: On 12 August, an offshore support vessel was fired upon approximately 35nm off the Nigerian coast.
7. (U) BANGLADESH: On 10 August, an anchored container ship was boarded at the Chittagong Anchorage.
8. (U) INDONESIA: On 2 August, an underway product tanker was boarded approximately 9nm north of Bintan Island.

So, let's give a salute to the efforts of the group mentioned in the first paragraph above - open sea piracy off

Somalia is off the reports - at least for now.

So, let's look at the most dangerous areas that exist now.

Being a fisherman off Bangladesh must suck - especially since some of the previous kidnapping have ended poorly for the victims (see Killer Pirates of the Bay of Bengal: 20 Bangladeshi fishermen Found Dead for example).

Such piracy is not an international issue - at least not one that will get NATO, the EU, etc involved. Further, as noted in the ONI report, in these two cases at least 10 of the 36 victims have been rescued by local authorities.

Further, as long, and very well, documented by the ICC's IMB Live Piracy Report ("Piracy and Armed Robbery Report"), threats to sailors often come from people climbing aboard anchored or moored ships and stealing loose gear or robbing crews at gun or knife point. For example:

10.08.2013: 2345 LT: Posn: 00:16.0S – 117:36.3E, Samarinda Anchorage, Indonesia.
Three robbers in boiler suits boarded an anchored bulk carrier awaiting for the cargo barge. The robbers held the 3/O who was on routine rounds at the forecastle. They hit him and threatened him with a knife while another five robbers boarded the ship, broke the hatch cover with pipes and crowbars and began to steal ship’s stores. The robbers escaped in a speed boat with the stolen stores and the 3/O personal belongings upon seeing duty crew approaching the forecastle. Upon investigation it was found that the robbers boarded the ship by breaking the hawse pipe security steel grill /cover bolt and nut lock.

Much of this activity occurs within the territorial waters of nations and it is thus local crime (but one that may affect international commerce).

All of which is a long way of getting back to what this post's headline states - we are seeing a reversion to form - more sea robbery, fewer ship hijacks.

Thank goodness.

Sea Shepherds Get Tagged as "Pirates" - Remain Idiots at Sea

The up-to-now almost consequence free "international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization" Sea Shepherd International, better known on these pages as "Idiots at Sea" (see e.g, here), have a court decision identifying them as "pirates".

Which, in the great scheme of things, shouldn't be too surprising to the SSI, as it is a label they have long applied to themselves, see here, albeit as "pirates of compassion."

Did the 9th Circuit get it right? I think so. You can read about other views at Lawfare's Ninth Circuit Calls Sea Shepherd Actions “Piracy” and the links therein.

Oh, and "Captain" Watson - well, he is already on the run with two Interpol "Red Notices" against him (see Sea Shepherd leader arrested - attempted murder), as the SSI crowd seeks funding to find him a "safe haven":

There are two active Interpol Red Notices issued against Captain Watson at the request of Costa Rica and Japan. Underlying these notices are non-lethal acts in defense of marine life suffering from illegal shark fishing and whaling operations. The warrants are politically motivated.

You know, "attempted murder" is almost always "non-lethal" - otherwise the charge would be "murder."

Frankly, I have been surprised that the pursuit of this organization has not included charges of terrorism. Of course, that probably wouldn't go over well with some of the famous people who fund this piracy - since it could result in the seizure of their assets as supporters of terrorism (see here). Former Secretary of State Clinton suggested nabbing the assets of Somali pirates under some theory of law - one that could be applied to the assets of Sea Shepherds International, I suppose.

I wonder if SSI could be considered a "criminal enterprise?"

Even better is the possibility of civil law suits against SSI and its funders . . .

Paul Watson, Chief Idiot of the SSI, is unimpressed with the 9th Circuit ruling, as set out in 'Pirate' ruling irrelevant: Sea Shepherd:

SEA Shepherd founder Paul Watson has described a US judge's opinion that he is a "pirate" as one-sided and irrelevant.

Never heard the winner of a legal case complain like that.

The SSI press release on the ruling can be found here:

Clearly, this is a bad decision by the Ninth Circuit Court, but not unexpected,” said Scott West, Director of Intelligence and Investigations for Sea Shepherd U.S. “But it’s an opinion; everyone has one. We happen to agree with Judge Jones' very well articulated and reasoned opinion on the matter,” he stated.

“Beyond that, the vitriolic and grandstanding manner in which the Ninth Circuit rendered its opinion makes us seriously doubt their qualifications for making a just decision. This court is part of the problem, not the solution. Not only is there no room for such a biased and unprofessional legal opinion, they somehow have the audacity to throw a highly respected, honored judge — one of their own — under the bus in order to side with foreign interests. Is this a decision of an American court or have we somehow mistakenly landed in Japan?” West added.

Among other things, it brings up the "court of public opinion" always the last gasp of a loser. By the way, Scott West is an idiot - an appellate court opinion is not just like the opinion of the guy sitting on a bar stool next to you.

Gulf of Guinea Pirates: Gasoline Tanker Hijacked Off Nigeria

UPDATE: Nigerian Navy has recaptured this tanker, as set out here:

Nigeria's navy says it has rescued a Singapore-owned oil tanker hijacked by pirates on Tuesday night with 23 Indian sailors on board.

A navy spokesman told the BBC the crew was safe, the hijackers had fled and the vessel, the Abu Dhabi Star, was being escorted into the port of Lagos.
***
Navy spokesman Commodore Kabir Aliyu said no shots were fired before the hijackers abandoned the Abu Dhabi Star.

Earlier the navy had sent two ships and a helicopter to the scene.

"We want to commend the superb effort of the Nigerian navy in securing the safe release of the Abu Dhabi Star. There were no casualties and the cargo is intact," Pottengal Mukundan, the director of the International Maritime Bureau, told the BBC.

"It is very important that the Nigerian authorities apprehend, investigate and try those who carried out the attack," he said.

Reported here:

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said in a statement that armed pirates boarded the vessel Tuesday night, attacking the crew members.

The pirates forced the ship to sail into the open sea, the IMB added.

Harrison said the tanker was coming from Bonny port town and was heading to the US.

According to him, the company has since received contact from the crew onboard the vessel and can confirm that all crew members are currently safe and uninjured, but that the vessel has been boarded by suspected pirates.

The pattern in these gasoline product tanker hijackings has been for the cargo to be stolen (transferred to another vessel or vessels) and the ship released with the crew relatively unharmed. UPDATE: Martin Murphy has a good post on Gulf of Guinea piracy at The Most Lucrative Piracy in the World.

Past patterns, however, do not guarantee future results.

UPDATE: More here:

ShipSpotting.com

Abu Dhabi Star

© Gena Anfimov

A spokesman for the firm that manages the hijacked Abu Dhabi Star said the vessel's location at the time of the Tuesday evening attack had not yet been established.

"We only got one message from the seafarers on board saying that they were being boarded.... We don't actually know the exact location of where she was hijacked," said Pat Adamson of Maritime Technical International.

Adamson said the vessel could have been carrying up to 45,000 tons of gasoline at the time of the attack.

A tracking device placed the tanker 31.4 nautical miles (60 kilometres, 35 miles) away from the Lagos port at roughly 1100 GMT on Wednesday, Nigeria's navy spokesman, Commodore Kabir Aliyu, said.
***
A security analyst said such attacks near Lagos and other ports in the region are becoming a worsening problem.

"Over the last few months we've seen an increasing number of incidents," said Peter Sharwood-Smith, west African regional manager for risk management consultancy Drum Cussac.

"For the last year and a bit we've been seeing high-level piracy off of Lagos, where they've been targeting tankers to steal their fuel oil cargo," he added.

Pirates hijacked and looted two oil tankers off nearby Togo last month. The two ships and all crew members were later freed.

The IMB's Choong said the same criminal syndicate could be behind the latest attack since the modus operandi was the same.

"They would seize the ship for about five days -- ransack the crew's cabin and syphon the oil to another pirate vessel," he said.

Somali Pirates: "The Menace at Sea" Video

A maritime insurance carrier presents a video of interest at Steamship Mutual - "Piracy - The Menace at Sea"

Somali Piracy 2011

From the ICC IMB's Live Piracy Map
Some IMB numbers (there are a couple of changes needed - final report later):

Worldwide Incidents: updated on 16 Dec 2011
Total Attacks Worldwide: 421
Total Hijackings Worldwide: 42

Incidents Reported for Somalia:
Total Incidents: 231
Total Hijackings:26
Total Hostages: 450
Total Killed: 15

Current vessels held by Somali pirates:
Vessels: 10
Hostages: 172

Somali Pirates: Ship Attack 10 Oct 11

Yellow arrow points to attack

Ship attack reported by NATO Shipping Center here:

Alert 227 / 2011 (AKA NSC 1) 10/10/2011 04:50 1231N 06148E Attacked
A piracy alert has been raised by the Maritime Security Centre.
Alert 227
Date of alert : October 10, 2011
Alert type : Pirate Attack
Location : [227] INDIAN OCEAN 12 31 N 061 48 E
Latitude : 12 31 N
Longitude : 043 01 E

At 0452 UTC / 10 OCT 11 / a merchant vessel is currently under attack by 1 skiff in position 12 31 N 061 48 E. Pirates used an RPG in this attack.

Vessels are advised to exercise extreme caution when navigating within 100 nautical miles of the position given in this report and maintain maximum CPA with any ship acting suspiciously.

NOTE: This attack is also referred to as NSC 1

This report may be related:

State TV in Italy says pirates have attacked an Italian cargo ship carrying 23 crew members in waters off Somalia.
The ship’s owner, D’Alessio Group, said five armed men conducted the attack Monday morning. But to protect the crew, the company said it would not provide any other details.
***
D’Allesio’s statement said the attack on its Montecristo ship occurred 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) off Somalia as the crew — seven Italians, six Ukranians and 10 Indians — was hauling scrap iron to Vietnam on a journey that began Sept. 20 in Liverpool, England.

If so, this may be the ship:

Photo by Ria Maat from Shipspotting.com and used iaw with terms of that site

UPDATE: 11 Oct 11 From the comments below an updated report from TradeWinds indicating the crew is in a citadel.

Recent Attacks on Shipping (to 4 July 11)

Rough sea conditions in their main operating areas, along with the presence of naval forces and armed security guards on some merchant ships, have slowed the Somali pirates somewhat, however, there is still a whole lot of pirate-like activity around the world, as seen in the reports below.




From IMB's Live Piracy Reports

04.07.2011: 0415 LT: Posn: 06:05.9S – 106:53.0E, Tg. Priok port, Jakarta, Indonesia. Three robbers armed with knives boarded a berthed bulk carrier during discharging operations via the shore side cargo net. Duty crew noticed the robbers near the forward store and informed the D/O who raised the alarm. The duty crew tried to stop the robbers from stealing but was threatened with a knife. The robbers lowered the stolen properties into a small boat on the sea side and escaped.
01.07.2011: 2341 LT: Posn: 01:16.6N – 104:12.8E, around 3.7nm south of Tg. Ayam, Malaysia. Robbers in four fast moving boats attempted to board a bulk carrier underway. Alarm raised, fire hoses activated, all deck lights switched on, anti-piracy crew directed searchlights towards the boats, evasive manoeuvres carried out in the restricted TSS lane and VTIS Singapore informed. After several attempts, the boats aborted the attack and moved away.
01.07.2011: 1835 UTC: Posn: 01:31.6N – 104:32.2E, South China Sea. Duty officer onboard a tug towing a barge sighted three pirates armed with knives. Alarm raised and crew alerted. Upon hearing the alarm, the pirates escaped in their speed boat. A search was conducted and no pirates were found onboard and nothing was stolen. The tug continued her passage.(see below for ReCAAP discussion)
30.06.2011: 0630 UTC: Cat Lai anchorage, Vietnam. While at anchor, the duty officer onboard a container ship noticed two boats approaching the vessel. He instructed the duty ABs to investigate. The persons in the boat pretended to be fishermen trying to sell fish, phone cards fruits etc. The boat people engaged the Abs for nearly 30 minutes before moving away. It was later discovered that ship stores had been stolen from the forward stores. Attempts to contact port control was futile.
30.06.2011: 0205 UTC: Posn: 06:00N – 002:29E: Cotonou anchorage, Benin. Armed robbers in a speed boat boarded a product tanker during STS operations, stole ship’s and crew properties and escaped. For safe STS operations the vessel had to remove the razor wire surrounding the vessel. The robbers used this to their advantage and gained access to the vessel.
29.06.2011: 1530 UTC: Posn: 13:17N – 042:59E, around 21nm NE of Assab, Eritrea,Red Sea. Two skiffs with six pirates in each skiff approached a chemical tanker underway. Master raised alarm, crew alerted and commenced manoeuvring. At a distance of 100 meters a ladder and weapons were sighted in the skiff. Onboard security team fired warning shots and the pirates aborted the attack.
Earlier incident of RPG armed pirates 26.06.2011: 0910 UTC: Posn: 21:42N – 060:29E: Around 62nm SE of Ras al Hadd, Oman. (Off Somalia) Two skiffs with five pirates in each chased a bulk carrier underway. The pirates fired RPGs at the vessel. The pirates managed to hook on the ladder onto the ships rail however due to evasive manoeuvres and using sea and swell to advantage coupled with razor wire and response from coalition navies the pirates aborted the attempt and moved away. A grey hulled mother vessel approximately 40meters in length was reported in the vicinity.

From Maritime Safety Information:

Red arrows point to attacks

A. (U) GULF OF GUINEA: A chemical tanker was hijacked 26 June off of Cotonou, Benin.
.
B. (U) ARABIAN SEA: Bulk carrier (SAGAR RATAN) experienced an attempted boarding 26 June approximately 72NM southeast of Sur, Oman.
.
C. (U) GULF OF GUINEA: A tanker was robbed 24 June while anchored at the Cotonou anchorage, Benin.
.
D. (U) GULF OF GUINEA: A chemical tanker was hijacked 24 June approximately 12NM southeast of Cotonou, Benin.
.
E. (U) GULF OF GUINEA: A vessel was robbed 23 June approximately 11NM southeast of Cotonou, Benin.
.
F. (U) ATLANTIC OCEAN: A refrigerated cargo vessel was robbed 23 June while anchored in the Matadi anchorage, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
.
G. (U) INDONESIA: A bulk carrier was robbed 22 June while anchored in the Surabaya anchorage, Indonesia.

and more information from the Anti-Shipping Activity Messages

Oman area attack, all close together and on sea lane

Date of Occurrence: 06/26/2011 Reference Number: 2011-310 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 21° 42' 00" N 60° 29' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: BULK CARRIER Description: RAS AL HADD, OMAN: Two skiffs with five pirates in each chased a bulk carrier underway. The pirates fired rpgs at the vessel. The pirates managed to hook on the ladder onto the ships rail however due to evasive maneuvers and using sea and swell to advantage coupled with razor wire and response from coalition navies the pirates aborted the attempt and moved away. A grey hulled mother vessel approximately 40 meters in length was reported in the vicinity.

Date of Occurrence: 06/26/2011 Reference Number: 2011-311 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 21° 45' 00" N 60° 31' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: MERCHANT VESSEL Description: ARABIAN SEA: Merchant vessel attacked in vicinity 21-45N 060-31E at 0949z on 26 Jun. Vessels are advised to keep 100 miles clear of this position and to exercise extreme caution.

Date of Occurrence: 06/24/2011 Reference Number: 2011-309 Geographical Subregion: 57 Geographical Location: 6° 08' 35" N 2° 28' 16" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: MERCHANT VESSEL Description: 12 MILES OFF COTONOU, BENIN: Four robbers in a speed boat boarded the vessel. All crew went into the citadel, but robbers managed to capture the 2nd engineer before he could enter the citadel. Seeing this, the Master presented himself to the robbers as well. The robbers took the Master and 2nd engineer and stole ship's and crew's cash. Personal belongings were taken, during this time the Master and the 2nd engineer were also hit by the robbers. Port control was contacted but received no response. At the time of the incident the vessel was undergoing STS operations and had to remove the razor wire to enable smooth operations. The robbers took advantage of this and gained access to the vessel.

Date of Occurrence: 06/24/2011 Reference Number: 2011-307 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 21° 03' 00" N 60° 12' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CHEMICAL TANKER Description: 74 MILES EAST OF GHALAT, OMAN: Two skiffs with six pirates in each chased and attempted to attack a chemical tanker underway. Master raised alarm, increased speed and took evasive maneuvers. The onboard security fired warning shots resulting in the pirates aborting the attempted attack and moved towards their mother vessel. The mother vessel was observed picking up the two skiffs.

Date of Occurrence: 06/24/2011 Reference Number: 2011-306 Geographical Subregion: 57 Geographical Location: 6° 09' 35" N 2° 32' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CHEMICAL TANKER Description: COTONOU, BENIN: Twelve armed pirates boarded a chemical tanker drifting in preparation for STS operations. They took hostage all crewmembers and hijacked the tanker. The tanker was released after 17 hours. Awaiting further details.

Benin attacks

Date of Occurrence: 06/24/2011 Reference Number: 2011-308 Geographical Subregion: 57 Geographical Location: 6° 15' 54" N 2° 33' 24" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: TANKER Description: COTONOU ANCHORAGE, BENIN: About ten robbers armed with guns and knives in a speed boat were seen approaching an anchored tanker with STS fenders alongside. Duty officer raised alarm, activated the SSAS and called port control but received no response. Four robbers boarded the tanker via the STS fenders, entered the bridge and took the Master to his cabin and stole ship's cash and personal belongings. Later the duty officer was taken to his cabin as well as all the other crew cabins and stole crew personal belongings. At this time the crew were threatened. Some crew were also beaten. All the robbers left the tanker at 0330 local time. Port control was called again but there still was no answer.

DR of Congo Attack

Date of Occurrence: 06/23/2011 Reference Number: 2011-302 Geographical Subregion: 57 Geographical Location: 5° 52' 00" S 13° 24' 43" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: REFRIGERATED CARGO SHIP Description: MATADI ANCHORAGE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Robbers boarded and stole ship stores from an anchored refrigerated cargo vessel on three occasions between 0500 local and 0740 local time. Duty crew spotted the robbers and raised the alarm on each occasion resulting in the robbers jumping overboard and escaping in a waiting boat. No response received from port authority when called on VHF. [Note by E1: Interesting as it appears to be a river attack]

Closer view of DR Congo reported attack area

Date of Occurrence: 06/23/2011 Reference Number: 2011-303 Geographical Subregion: 72 Geographical Location: 7° 11' 30" S 112° 43' 30" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: BULK CARRIER Description: SURABAYA ANCHORAGE, INDONESIA: Robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier from the stern as the duty crew was taking routine rounds forward. They stole ship's stores and escaped. When the duty crew reached the stern, he found ship's stores missing and raised the alarm. Port control and local agents informed.

For those of you unfamiliar with it, ReCAAP is The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, an international agreement (and organization) devoted to fighting piracy in the Malacca Strait and other parts of the South Asian waters. Since its implementation, piracy in the area has decreased. ReCAAP keeps a watchful eye on the South China Sea, too, and recently, in a Special Report dated 29 June 11 (pdf download) that notes an apparent pattern of hijacking ocean going tugs:

5. A total of 11 incidents of hijacking and missing vessels were reported between

2008 and 2011, comprising two incidents in 2008, one incident in 2009, three incidents in 2010 and five incidents in 2011 (up to June 2011).
6. Except for the incident involving tanker Blue Ocean 7 on 21 May 08, all the other 10 incidents involved tug boats. Tug boats are vulnerable targets as they tend to operate nearer to coast (on coastal voyages), slow moving, with low free board and less crew onboard.

Vicinity of 1 July tug  attack off Malaysia (click to enlarge)

The report goes on to analyze the patterns, report the economic basis for the hijackings (newer boats preferred to old because they sell for more), suggest tug boat security rules and it has maps detailing the prime attack areas. Interesting read.

The 1 July thwarted attack set out  in red above appears to fall into this pattern of criminality.

You may recall the hijacked tug, Atlantic 5, found being renamed in the Philippines as set out in my post here.

A Couple of Weeks Worth of Anti-Shipping Activity

As found at the ASAM port of Maritime Safety Information (activity near Somalia in reddish hue):

Date of Occurrence: 06/18/2011 Reference Number: 2011-300 Geographical Subregion: 24 Geographical Location: 10° 17' 18" N 64° 43' 06" W Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CARGO SHIP Description: PUERTO LA CRUZ, VENEZUELA: Master onboard an anchored general cargo vessel noticed a speed boat approaching the vessel. He ordered the duty crew to investigate. Later, one AB entered the bridge in a frightened state and reported that robbers had boarded the vessel and taken hostage the second duty watchman at knife point and had stolen ship stores. Alarm raised and crew mustered. Port control and CSO informed.

Date of Occurrence: 06/18/2011 Reference Number: 2011-299 Geographical Subregion: 63 Geographical Location: 8° 29' 00" N 76° 40' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CHEMICAL TANKER Description: AROUND 15 MILES OFF TRIVANDRUM, INDIA: Master onboard a chemical tanker underway noticed a white hulled skiff around three miles ahead. The skiff was noticed to increase speed and approach the vessel at high speed. Vessel increased speed, altered course, sounded alarm and took anti-piracy measures. The skiff continued to chase the vessel for around 10 minutes before stopping. Master reported five to six persons in the boat and also reported noticing some guns in the boat. The skiff was later heard to have attacked another tanker.

Date of Occurrence: 06/18/2011 Reference Number: 2011-298 Geographical Subregion: 63 Geographical Location: 8° 37' 00" N 76° 26' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CHEMICAL TANKER Description: AROUND 30 MILES OFF TRIVANDRUM, INDIA: Pirates in a skiff chased a chemical tanker underway. The vessel enforced anti-piracy preventive measures, sent SSAS alert. Later a naval helicopter arrived at location.

Date of Occurrence: 06/17/2011 Reference Number: 2011-301 Geographical Subregion: 24 Geographical Location: 6° 49' 18" N 58° 10' 12" W Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CONTAINER SHIP Description: GEORGETOWN INNER ANCHORAGE, GUYANA: Four robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored container ship. They took the bosun as hostage and stole ship's properties and escaped. The alarm raised and crew mustered. Authorties informed.

Date of Occurrence: 06/15/2011 Reference Number: 2011-292 Geographical Subregion: 61 Geographical Location: 9° 18' 00" N 51° 15' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CARGO SHIP Description: AROUND 26 MILES OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA: Four pirates in a skiff chased and fired upon a general cargo ship underway. One pirate managed to board the vessel but had to jump overboard after the crew successfully confronted him. All crew safe.

Date of Occurrence: 06/14/2011 Reference Number: 2011-297 Geographical Subregion: 57 Geographical Location: 5° 52' 00" N 2° 36' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CHEMICAL TANKER Description: COTONOU ANCHORAGE, BENIN: Armed robbers boarded and hijacked an anchored chemical tanker. They forced the captain to sail the vessel to an unknown location. The pirates stole ship's properties and left the vessel.

Date of Occurrence: 06/13/2011 Reference Number: 2011-291 Geographical Subregion: 24 Geographical Location: 10° 18' 30" N 75° 32' 36" W Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: BULK CARRIER Description: CARTAGENA TANKER ANCHORAGE, COLOMBIA: Duty AB onboard a bulk carrier at anchor spotted robbers trying to gain access via the hawse pipe. The AB alerted other crew members who rushed forward resulting in the robbers aborting the attempt and moving away. Later as the AB moved aft during his rounds he observed barefoot marks on the deck and noticed that the ship's stores were stolen.

Date of Occurrence: 06/12/2011 Reference Number: 2011-294 Geographical Subregion: 56 Geographical Location: 30° 42' 18" N 32° 20' 39" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CONTAINER SHIP Description: SUEZ CANAL ANCHORAGE, EGYPT: Robbers boarded and stole ship property from an anchored container vessel. The incident was reported to the local authorities who managed to track down the robbers and reclaim the stolen property.

Date of Occurrence: 06/12/2011 Reference Number: 2011-290 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 12° 33' 00" N 61° 46' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: BULK CARRIER Description: AROUND 420 MILES EAST OF SOCOTRA ISLAND: Four pirates in a skiff chased and fired upon a bulk carrier underway. The skiff closed to around five meters from the ship. Effective anti-piracy measures including fire hoses and electric wire around vessel prevented the pirates from gaining access.

Date of Occurrence: 06/11/2011 Reference Number: 2011-286 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 12° 17' 00" N 61° 27' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: BULK CARRIER Description: AROUND 400 MILES EAST OF SOCOTRA: Four pirates in a skiff approached and fired upon a bulk carrier underway. Onboard security team fired warning shots resulting in the pirates moving away.

Not a Somali Pirate!

Date of Occurrence: 06/11/2011 Reference Number: 2011-287 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 12° 19' 00" N 61° 30' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CHEMICAL TANKER Description: AROUND 405 MILES EAST OF SOCOTRA: Four pirates in a skiff chased a chemical tanker underway. Weapons sighted in the skiff but not used. Security team onboard fired warning shots and the skiff moved away.

Date of Occurrence: 06/11/2011 Reference Number: 2011-288 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 13° 42' 06" N 42° 35' 48" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: TANKER Description: 40 MILES NORTH OF ASSAB, ERITREA, RED SEA: Five pirates in a skiff chased a tanker underway. Small arms and ladder observed in the skiff. All crew except master and OOW were mustered at safe point. Security guard onboard fired warning shots and pirates moved away.

Date of Occurrence: 06/11/2011 Reference Number: 2011-295 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 12° 10' 00" N 61° 45' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: BULK CARRIER Description: ARABIAN SEA: Bulk carrier (EMPEROR) was fired upon by one skiff with four pirates onboard 11 June at 0315 UTC while underway in position 12-10N 061-45E, approximately 426NM southeast of Socotra Island, Yemen. Onboard security team fired warning shots and the pirates aborted the attack. (IMB, UKMTO)

Date of Occurrence: 06/11/2011 Reference Number: 2011-289 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 13° 29' 00" N 42° 43' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: TANKER Description: AROUND 27 MILES NORTH OF ASSAB, ERITREA, RED SEA: While underway the duty officer onboard a tanker spotted a skiff on radar. When the skiff approached closer, seven pirates were observed in the skiff. The pirates could not board the vessel due to high freeboard. Later the skiff moved away.

Date of Occurrence: 06/11/2011 Reference Number: 2011-296 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 13° 32' 00" N 42° 41' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: TANKER Description: RED SEA: Chemical/oil products tanker (EMMA VICTORY) experienced an attempted boarding 11 June at 0451 UTC while underway in position 13-32N 042-41E, approximately 31NM northwest of Assab, Eritrea. Vessel spotted five skiffs but was only attacked by one. Skiff attempted to put on a ladder on the vessel, but could not due to razor wire and evasive maneuvers. (UKMTO, Operator, Commercial Sources)

Date of Occurrence: 06/10/2011 Reference Number: 2011-285 Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 13° 29' 00" N 42° 37' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: BULK CARRIER Description: AROUND 30 MILES NORTH OF ASSAB, ERITREA, RED SEA: Six pirates in one skiff chased and fired upon a bulk carrier underway. Vessel took all anti-piracy measueres and contacted the coalition forces resulting in the pirates aborting the attempt.

A couple more from IMB's Live Piracy Report:

23.06.2011: 0531 LT: Posn: 05:52S – 013:24.72E, Matadi anchorage, Democratic Republic of Congo. Robbers boarded and stole ship stores from an anchored refrigerated cargo vessel on three occasions between 0500lt and 0740lt. Duty crew spotted the robbers and raised the alarm on each occasion resulting in the robbers jumping overboard and escaping in a waiting boat. No response received from port authority when called on VHF.

23.06.2011: 0240 LT: Posn: 7:11.5S – 112:43.5E, Surabaya anchorage, Indonesia.
Robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier from the stern as the duty crew was taking routine rounds forward. They stole ship's stores and escaped. When the duty crew reached the stern, he found ship's stores missing and raised the alarm. Port control and local agents informed.

18.06.2011: 0210 LT: Posn: 05:51.9S – 013:2.57E, Boma anchorage, Dem. Rep. of Congo.
A vigilant deck watchman onboard an anchored refrigerated cargo vessel noticed a robber with a long knife hiding on the forecastle deck. The robber jumped overboard when the deck watchman illuminated the area with his flashlight. Nothing reported stolen.

16.06.2011: 0800 UTC: Posn: 13:43.8N – 042:56.8E, around 42nm NxE of Assab, Eritrea, Red Sea. A skiff with five pirates approached a general cargo ship underway at a speed of 25 knots. As the skiff closed a pirate with a gun was observed. When the skiff closed to 100 meters the onboard armed security team fired warning shots resulting in the skiff moving away.

Things About Pirates

First, from gCaptain, The Evolving US Piracy Policy:

The [U.S.] Dept. of State believes the best action plan is to deprive the pirates of ransom revenues, however it is very hard to track the money. The NSC [U.S. National Security Council] calls for disrupting bases in Somalia, but no action has been taken. Under UNCLOS, piracy is a crime of universal jurisdiction, yet prosecution is a matter of national “soft” laws. The multinational character of the Flags of Convenience (FOC) system complicates the situation where there’s no clear national responsibilities. Navies who capture pirates often can’t find States willing to prosecute. The area pirates operate are too vast for navies to enforce, and military assets are urgently needed elsewhere (particularly Afghanistan and Iraq). Pirates continue to attack less than one-half percent of shipping, and of those, have a 30% success rate. The Dept. of Defense argues that due to the relatively low number of incidents, merchant shipping needs to play a larger role in its own defense. It’s noted in all cases where private security teams are employed, they have success- fully kept pirates from boarding, making ships a hard target. Use of armed ships is contrary to BMPs, however, the ships that have 100% record of deterring pirate attacks are the ones that ignore the BMPs. Many Port states are against use of arms, which can create difficulties in ports of call.

Evolving policy? Sounds like the NSC has made this high visibility issue a low priority item. Which may make sense from the U.S. point of view since so few (okay, none) of the captured ships and merchant sailors are U.S. Of course, there is that "freedom of the seas" aspect that keeps some U.S. Navy ships out there bobbing about . . .

Shiptalk has a couple of post up about torture of Somali pirate captives "Human Costs" and "Holding Back". The first contains the not-so-surprising news that Somali pirates are not good hosts to their captives and are pretty rough in their piracy efforts:

The Oceans Beyond Piracy Project has gathered to fight this seeming lack of public concern/knowledge. Their study, “The Human Cost of Somali Piracy”, was launched on June 6 at Chatham House in London. The study’s findings indicate that during 2010:

• 4,185 seafarers were attacked with firearms and rocket propelled grenades.

• 342 seafarers were rescued from citadels (ships’ reinforced security rooms).

• 1,090 seafarers were taken hostage.

• 516 seafarers were used as human shields.

• As many as 488 seafarers were subjected to abuse or torture.

The cost of piracy is high for seafarers. Both successful and unsuccessful attacks expose seafarers to dangerous experiences with the potential for long-term physical and psychological trauma.

Somali pirates with hostages

The second Shiptalk post has to do with a security firm asserting that there is a "cover up" of sorts concerning the treatment of pirate hostages:

A security company speaking at a conference has claimed that shipowners are holding back some of the worst news about the treatment of seafarers taken hostage by Somali pirates.

Why a cover up? To not "alarm" seafarers heading into the pirate zone . . .

On another piracy front, the International Maritime Bureau has issued some warnings about piracy in the South China Sea (an area I've been neglecting lately), as set out here:

A global maritime watchdog warned ships traversing the South China Sea bordering Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore following the hijack of three tugboats and a barge in recent weeks.

Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's, or IMB's piracy reporting center based in Kuala Lumpur, said alerts have been sent to ships in the area amid a sudden rash of hijackings.

"We are sending out this alert as these are the first three hijackings of vessels in the South China Sea this year," he said. "Normally pirates in the area are opportunistic as they rob a ship and flee but the hijacking of a vessel requires planning so we believe a syndicate is involved," Choong added.

A report on a missing tug (one of the above attacks) from the IMB's Live Piracy Report:

• Attack Number: 2011/232
• Date: Wed May 25 2011
• Vessel Type: Tug
• Location detail: Kuching to Port Klang
• Attack Type: Hijacked
• Incident Details:
  25.05.2011: NS : enroute from Kuching to port Klang, South China Sea.
  The tug towing a barge departed Kuching on 24.5.2011 with eta port Klang 30.05.2011.
  The tug and barge failed to arrive at the discharge port and the owners attempt to contact the tug was futile. On 02.6.2011 the barge was located by a Malaysian warship. The crew members were rescued by a fishing vessel. The tug is still missing.

About a year ago a hijacked tug was recovered in the Philippines undergoing an identity change, as set out here.

As usual, there are numerous reports in Southeast Asia, West Africa and South America of various anchored or moored vessels being boarded by robbers who either steal material from the vessels they board and/or rob the crew of their personal belongings.

UPDATE: In addition to the reports in Southeast Asia of moored or anchored vessels being boarded and robbed, in the last couple of weeks, there have been boardings and robberies of vessels underway in an area near Singapore, noted in ReCAAP reports:

(Report 12-11) On 30 May 11 at or about 0129 hrs, a Singapore-registered tanker Dong Jiang was underway at approximately 30 nm east of Horsburgh Lighthouse (01° 19.30' N, 104° 54.50' E) when six robbers boarded the vessel. The robbers stole cash and other valuables before they escaped. The vessel was enroute from Tanjung Pelapas, Malaysia to Balongan, Indonesia at the time of the incident. The crew was not injured.
***
(Report 13-11) On 2 Jun 11 at or about 0530 hrs, a Mongolia-registered general cargo ship Shipinco I
was underway at approximately 1.9 nm west of Batu Berhanti buoy (01° 10.76' N, 103° 50.87' E) when five robbers boarded the vessel. Armed with long knives, they robbed the Master, 3rd Officer and Chief Cook, and escaped with cash and the crew’s personal belongings including watches, mobile phones and clothing. The crew was not injured.
***
(Report 14-11) On 6 Jun 11 at or about 2315 hrs, an Indonesian-registered LPG tanker Asian Gas was
underway at approximately 3.65 nm southeast of Raffles Lighthouse (01° 9.06' N, 103° 48.0' E) when eight masked robbers from one speed boat boarded the vessel at the starboard quarter. Armed with long knives, they robbed the crew and escaped after taking with them laptops, mobile phones and undetermined amount of cash. The crew was not injured.

ReCAAP Report Map for Last 3  Incidents

Somali Pirates: Record Levels

Well, after a few days away, here's a bit of frustrating news to welcome me back - the International Maritime Bureau reports "Attacks off the Somali coast drive piracy to record high":

Indian Ocean Area

Piracy at sea hit an all-time high in the first three months of 2011, with 142 attacks worldwide, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) global piracy report revealed today. The sharp rise was driven by a surge in piracy off the coast of Somalia, where 97 attacks were recorded in the first quarter of 2011, up from 35 in the same period last year.

Worldwide in the first quarter of 2011, 18 vessels were hijacked, 344 crew members were taken hostage, and six were kidnapped, IMB reported. A further 45 vessels were boarded, and 45 more reported being fired upon.

“Figures for piracy and armed robbery at sea in the past three months are higher than we’ve ever recorded in the first quarter of any past year,” said Pottengal Mukundan, Director of IMB, whose Piracy Reporting Centre has monitored piracy worldwide since 1991.

IMB 2011 Piracy Map to 10 May 11

In the first three months of 2011, pirates murdered seven crew members and injured 34. Just two injuries were reported in the first quarter of 2006.

Of the 18 ships hijacked worldwide in the first three months of the year, 15 were captured off the east coast of Somalia, in and around the Arabian Sea and one in the Gulf of Aden. In this area alone, 299 people were taken as hostage and a further six were kidnapped from their vessel. At their last count, on 31 March, IMB figures showed that Somali pirates were holding captive 596 crew members on 28 ships.

“We’re seeing a dramatic increase in the violence and techniques used by pirates in the seas off Somalia,” said Captain Mukundan.

He added: “The overwhelming number of vessels hijacked off Somalia took place east and north east of the Gulf of Aden. The positions of some of the attackers’ mother ships are known. It is vital that strong action is taken against these mother ships to prevent further hijackings.”

I guess the NATO/EU/CTF151 and all the other naval forces bobbing about in the Indian Ocean can take some solace in the fact that the numbers might be even higher without their efforts.

That's damning with faint praise.

You should also consider the number of attacks on merchant ships thwarted by armed security teams on board ships that came under attack by pirates . . . the IMB numbers are really only about 1/2 the story.

A Study on the "Costs of Piracy"

From the One Earth Future organization, "Oceans Beyond Piracy" web site - "The Cost of Piracy" in three pdf units. Their bottom line (which I will examine soon) is that piracy costs the global community somewhere between $7 to $12 billion annually.

From the Executive Summary at the beginning of the full report:

At the end of 2010, around 500 seafarers from more than 18 countries are being held hostage by pirates.1 Piracy clearly affects the world‘s largest trade transport industry, but how much is it costing the world? One Earth Future (OEF) Foundation has conducted a large-scale study to quantify the cost of piracy as part of its Oceans Beyond Piracy project. Based on our calculations, maritime piracy is costing the international economy between $7 to $12 billion,2 per year.
This report details the major calculations and conclusions made in the study. The project focuses on direct (first) order costs, but also includes some estimates of secondary (macroeconomic costs), where data is available. It concentrates on the supply-side costs to both industry and governments. The study set out to analyze the cost of piracy to the Horn of Africa, Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, and the Malacca Straits. The focus is inevitably on the costs of Somali piracy because this is the region where contemporary piracy is most highly concentrated and is the greatest source of current data and information.3

From Oceans Beyond Piracy Presentation

 UPDATE2: Is it just me that finds it ironic that pirate ransoms for 2010, estimated at $238 million (page 10 of the full report) are one of the lower costs identified in the report? My math (which may be wrong) says that ransom costs were under 4% of the total costs identified above). Insurance, however, against piracy losses was around 7 to 25%.

UPDATE: Just to put this number in perspective, cargo theft in the U.S. alone has been estimated to be about $30 billion a year -see here.

Further, consider the costs involved in actually taking those actions that might reduce the level of piracy. Hmmm - what would it cost to mount an amphibious operation and stage a punitive raid or more?

Footnotes:

1 Countries include: Bangladesh, China, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Turkey, Yemen, and Vietnam.
2 Unless otherwise indicated, all dollar costs throughout this paper are in United States (US) dollars.
3 In 2010, 44 successful ship hijackings out of a global total of 48, were conducted by Somali pirates.