New Report Released on Maritime Security Threats in 2015
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One of the largest threats to maritime workers who navigate in foreign waters is maritime piracy and other forms of maritime crime. While many people think that piracy is a thing of the past, modern pirates still exist and are far more dangerous now than ever. Modern pirates typically carry sophisticated weapons used to attack ships at sea. The vessels they target sometimes contain goods that can be sold on the black market; other times their goal is to take the crew hostage and hold it for ransom.
Maritime Intelligence Agency Releases Report On Security Threats
A company which specializes in maritime intelligence recently released its quarterly report about recent security incidents and current threats in the maritime industry. The biggest threats continue to be located off of the African and Asian coasts. In the first quarter of 2015, 74 of the 87 known security incidents occurred off the Southeast Asian coast and in the Gulf of Guinea on the Western Africa coast.
Types Of Security Incidents By Region
The report identified six separate types of security incidents and broke them down by region.
Southeast Asian Security Incidents
- Robbery – 27
- Boarding – 18
- Hijack – 5
- Attempted Boarding – 4
- Suspicious Approach – 2
Gulf of Guinea Security Incidents
- Attack – 9
- Suspicious Approach – 3
- Robbery – 3
- Hijack – 1
- Boarding – 1
- Attempted Boarding – 1
Rest of World Security Incidents
- Robbery – 6
- Boarding – 4
- Attack – 3
Other Highlights From The Report
Other notable items from the report include:
- Kidnaps of maritime crews for ransom continue to be a large security threat off of the coast of Nigeria
- 8 crews have been kidnapped in 2015, with 5 still being held in captivity
- 1 crewmember has been killed in a kidnapping
- Incidents in Southeast Asia are down 36% compared to the fourth quarter of 2014
Piracy remains a real threat and gives some American maritime workers pause about navigating foreign waters. To learn more about your legal rights regarding maritime piracy, contact one of our maritime law attorneys today for a free consultation.