Executive Summary | State of Piracy 2017
East Africa Key Findings
Economic Cost
- The total cost of Somali piracy remains within the historical norm of the past three years.
- 13% decrease in the use of privately contracted armed security personnel between January 2015 and December 2017.
Economic Cost of Somali Piracy (2010- 2017)
Human Cost
- The crew of Aris-13, Asayr-2 and Al Kausar were each held for a matter of days.
- Crew members of the FV Siraj remain in captivity after 3 years
- A total of 1102 seafarers were affected by piracy and armed robbery in the Western Indian Ocean region in 2017.
Pirate Activity
- The spike in piracy events off the Horn of Africa in the spring of 2017 indicates that Somali criminal networks are still capable of sophisticated attacks.
- The first hijacking of an ocean-going merchant vessel in 5 years was recorded with the capture of the Aris-13 in March 2017.
- OBP observed a 100% increase in total incidents between 2016 and 2017.
- Additional threats complicate the maritime security picture in the Western Indian Ocean region, including spillover into the maritime space from the political conflict in Yemen.
Read Full State of Piracy East Africa Section
West Africa Key Findings
Economic Cost
- The total cost in West Africa continues to rise, up from $793.7 million in 2016.
- OBP found that spending on coastal state embarked personnel decreased to $213.7 million.
- Regional spending on law enforcement and naval patrols increased by $13.2 million in 2017.
Economic Cost of Piracy In West Africa (2015 - 2017)
Human Cost
- The number of kidnap-for-ransom incidents rose slightly, from 18 in 2016 to 21 in 2017.
- OBP found that 100 crewmembers were taken hostage in 2017.
Pirate Activity
- Piracy continues to pose a persistent threat in the Gulf of Guinea despite a broad array of countermeasures implemented by coastal states and maritime security companies.
- Despite a rise in oil prices, the trend of kidnap-for-ransom attacks in West Africa continues.
- While only one incident of hijacking for cargo theft was recorded in 2017, incidents in early 2018 may suggest a return to the model.
Read Full State of Piracy West Africa Section
Asia Key Findings
Economic Cost
- As with previous reports, OBP was limited in its ability to calculate an economic figure due to the complexity of shipping patterns and the difficulty in isolating dedicated counter-piracy patrols of regional naval and law enforcement agencies.
- Kidnap-for-ransom incidents in Asia decreased by 80%, in large part due to the effective cooperation by regional law enforcement actors.
- The value of stolen ship stores, crew belongings, and cargo is estimated at $6.3 million, up from $4.5 million in 2016.
- 62 incidents occurred at anchor, in part explaining the increase in value of stolen goods.
Human Cost
- OBP calculated that 1908 seafarers were affected by piracy and armed robbery during 99 incidents in 2017, down from 2283 in 2016.
- Kidnappings were down from 67 seafarers in 2016 to 16 in 2017, reflecting the success of the trilateral patrols whose mission includes countering piracy and armed robbery and prohibiting the flow of armed militants around the Sulu and Celebes Sea region.
- The longest captivity duration in 2017 was 264 days. The shortest was 4 days.
- At least 6 seafarers who were kidnapped in incidents during 2016 were killed in captivity throughout 2017—bringing the total number of seafarers killed to at least 17.
Pirate Activity
- 2017 is the third year in a row where OBP has observed a decrease in the number of overall incidents.
- The number of hijackings for cargo theft remained at the same level as in 2016, with 3 occurring in both years.
- 62 incidents at anchor.
Read Full State of Piracy Asia Section
Latin America And The Caribbean Key Findings
Economic Cost
OBP was unable to compile a comprehensive economic cost of piracy for Latin America and the Caribbean due the complexity of maritime activity in the region.
Human Cost
- OBP found that 854 seafarers were affected by piracy and armed robbery incidents in 2017.
- Of the seven kinds of vessels found to be involved in piracy and armed robbery incidents, yachts were the primary target. Yachts were found to be involved in roughly 59% of all incidents.
- The longest captivity duration in 2017 was 264 days. The shortest was 4 days.
- Only 23% of attackers were found to be armed, reflecting that most of crime recorded in the area is robbery from ships at anchor.
Pirate Activity
- Piracy and armed robbery incidents increased by 163% between 2016 and 2017.
- Most incidents in the region occurred in territorial waters, with anchored yachts serving as the primary targets for attackers.
- Recent attacks in Suriname in early 2018 represent rare but violent incidents that occur in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Read Full State of Piract Latin America and the Caribbean Section
Links to State of Maritime Piracy Report Sections
Read full Latin America Report