Pirating on the high seas is not yielding the same results as last year, though not for lack of trying.

 

So far this year pirates have carried out 266 attacks, up from 196 incidents during the first six months of 2010. But the increased effort is getting them less booty. Only 21 ships have been hijacked this year, compared to 27 from January to June 2010.

 

The International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre credits ships with tougher hulls and stepped up naval patrols with making it more difficult for pirates to seize vessels.

 

One thing that hasn’t changed from previous years is who’s responsible for most of the attacks: Somalis. More than 60% of pirate activity has originated out of Somalia, where 20 ships and 420 crew members are currently being held for ransoms.

 

Somali pirates are extending their operations like never before, going after ships in the Indian Ocean even during stormy weather.

 

“In the last six months, Somali pirates attacked more vessels than ever before and they’re taking higher risks,” IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan said. “This June, for the first time, pirates fired on ships in rough seas in the Indian Ocean during the monsoon season. In the past, they would have stayed away in such difficult conditions. Masters should remain vigilant.”

 

A study by Geopolicity released in May 2011 estimates that the annual international cost of Somali piracy alone is between $4.9 billion and $8.3 billion. The cost, which takes into account the costs of ransom, security equipment and the impact on trade, is predicted to nearly double by 2014 and the number of pirates could double by 2016.

 

The study also estimated that the average Somali pirate makes between $33,000 and $79,000 a year, compared to $500 a year if they chose another line of work. The lifetime income of a pirate was estimated to be as high as $394,000.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Pirate Attacks at Sea Getting Bigger and Bolder, Says IMB Report (ICC Commercial Crime Services)

New Data Shows Pirates Trying More, Succeeding Less (by Adam Rawnsley, Wired)