Pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia have decreased dramatically this year, but the number of incidents off Africa's west coast is increasing, and piracy is becoming more violent there, the International Maritime Bureau reported Monday.
There were 102 incidents of piracy and armed robbery during the first quarter of 2012, according to the agency, part of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Forty-three of those were attributed to Somali pirates, a decrease from 97 in the first quarter of 2011. Nine vessels were hijacked in the area, a decrease from 16 in the period a year earlier. Pirates took 144 crew members hostage off Somalia during the quarter, according to the report.
The bureau credited international navies, which have staged both reactive and pre-emptive strikes against pirates in the region, for the decrease in piracy off Somalia. It hoped for continued progress.
“The (European Union) announcement to expand their anti-piracy mission to target pirates ashore is another welcome move that could further threaten the Somali piracy model,” Pottengal Mukundan, director of the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, said in a statement.
While progress was made off Africa's east coast, piracy off Nigeria on Africa's west coast was growing, the report said.
Nigeria-based pirates were behind 11 attacks in the first quarter, the bureau said. Only 10 pirate attacks were reported off Nigeria all of last year, it said.
“Nigerian piracy is increasing in incidence and extending in range,” Mukundan said in a statement. “At least six of the 11 reported incidents in Nigeria occurred at distances greater than 70 nautical miles from the coast, which suggests that fishing vessels are being used as motherships to attack shipping further afield.”
Two people were killed in the Nigerian pirate attacks, which included two hijackings with 42 crew members taken hostage, the report said.
Pirate attacks also increased off Indonesia during the quarter, the bureau reported, with 18 vessels attacked, up from five a year earlier. Robbery is the main target of those attacks, the bureau said.
Iran detains 13 alleged pirates after clash
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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About time international community comes together on this issue (and in this age and time). Every country worth its salt has a navy now. Pool resources and root this evil out.
Agrred!
S/B 'agreed".
I meant no pun.
Many unused resources must be available in this era.
To me, the only reasonable penalty for piracy is death, regardless of what England did in 1837.
Hang them near the harbour.
Turn it into a business: Rent spaces on ships that look like targets to big game hunters that wish to add the ultimate trophy to their collection. That would not cost the tax payer money like a navy would.
With those kind of ships, who would target who?
Agreed. List big game hunters take these monsters out. If they target US shops, we should send in seal team
It was President Bill Clinton that put into power the present Somalia dictator that collects bribes from the pirates who take hostages for ransom.
Nigerians are responsible for much of the internet schemes. When you sell something on Ebay or Craigslist you are bound to get lots of offers to ship it overseas with payment from a bogus account. Much spam it created there. Now they have decided to branch out and take more of what does not belong to them through piracy. Internet piracy or high seas piracy. This country needs an enema!!
Look who is talking...You have no moral right to point fingers here....We know you bomb countries and take their resources too.
US business men are still the sponsor. All the equipment they are using to attack are made and supply by US people. You guys are just using us and calling us names.
Any 1st world nation affected by this should be sending torpedo boats out there. Piracy is an international crime
Not banasy at 4:22.
Somebody is having fun with my defending banasy by setting me up.
Sorry, JIF, that was me...
Thabk you for coming to my defense, however.
It is appreciated.
Jif made a rare error.
You know, the pirate trophy idea is wonderful, really...
Nigel, come into the den–I have something to show you.
Close your eyes...there...he's just in–KEEP them closed–he'll be just in front of you when I turn on the light–
There, Nigel!
AARRRRGGHHH! Ah, ha!
Excellent taxidermy.
I got this just off the coast of Somalia..mrather a short one, unfortunately...
i took that photo
Bravo chris!
Wonderful photograph!
I believe that there should be enough commercial ships allowed to carry enough of their own armament and personnel trained in using in using it to literally blow these pirates right out of the water to make the risk of attack by these pirates to much. They [the pirates] need to be the survivors plucked out of the water.
Oopsy, sorry for the double post Ken
Not true, and it still does not justify it. Your statement is similar to an excuse of a child.
But hey, thanks for stopping by Mr. Racist. Buh bye...
The solution to piracy is quite simple; maximum violence against the perpetrators. Unfortunately western politicians have gone soft on this kind of measures, unlike the pirates in question. As the Romans already found out, if you are civilized you become a soft target.
If Indonesia has 18 numbers of attact then why did CNN here tag the news at Nigeria that has just 9 attacts. you can see the injustice here.
EU's entered in African territory and the somalis are heroes to defed them.Still yet the EU need superioriy.
Somalis combat them.