Piracy has conquered land in the Gulf of Guinea (Photo ANAVE)

According to ANAVE, the number of merchant ship crews abducted in the Gulf of Guinea increased by more than 50 per cent during 2019, despite the fact that incidents of piracy decreased worldwide, according to the recent International Maritime Office (IMB) annual piracy report of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

In 2019, the IMB received 162 reports of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships worldwide, almost 20 per cent less than the 201 reported in 2018. A total of four ships were abducted, eleven were shot by firearms and 130 ships were attacked by pirates, and 17 attacks were reported as failed.

The Gulf of Guinea was again the most dangerous area for merchant vessels in 2019. It recorded 64 incidents, including four ship abductions and 10 of the 11 firearms incidents. In addition, 121 crew members were abducted in these waters during this period, representing 90 per cent of all reported marine abductions worldwide and an increase of more than 50 per cent from the 78 of 2018. In the last quarter alone, 64 crew members were abducted in six incidents.

Michael Howlett, director of IMB, states that the most recent data confirm the importance of greater information exchange and coordination between ships, reporting and monitoring agencies in the Gulf of Guinea."Without specific information protocols, high-risk areas for seafarers cannot be established with precision and a solution for increasing incidents of piracy in these persistently vulnerable waters"