(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) has released its statistics on piracy and sea robbery in Asia for January-September this year.
A total of 55 incidents of armed robbery against ships (comprising 52 actual incidents and three attempted incidents) were reported in Asia during January-September 2021.
This accounts for a 27% decrease, compared to 75 incidents (comprising 73 actual incidents and two attempted incidents) reported during the same period in 2020. All the incidents reported during January-September 2021 were armed robbery against ships. No piracy incident was reported.
The decrease of incidents during January - September 2021 occurred in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, South China Sea and the Sulu Celebes Seas.
Areas of concern during January-September 2021 were:
(a) Singapore Strait,
(b) Manila Anchorage Areas in the Philippines and
(c) Sulu-Celebes Seas.
(a) In the Singapore Strait, armed robbery against ships continued to occur. A total of 26 incidents reported during January-September 2021 compared to 22 incidents during the same period in 2020.
(b) At Manila Anchorage Areas, a total of nine incidents were reported at South Harbour Anchorage Area during January-August 2021, including violence against crew. However, on 27 and 29 Sep, the Philippine law enforcement agencies arrested the leader and one member of a criminal group responsible for the incidents at Manila Anchorage Areas. No incident was reported in September 2021.
(c) The threat of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah continues to remain high although there is no abduction of crew since January 2020. According to the Philippines authorities, some leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group who were responsible for the past abduction incidents are still at large. Ships transiting the area are advised to follow the ReCAAP ISC’s ‘Guidance on Abduction of Crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and Waters off Eastern Sabah’, and maintain communications with the Operation Centres of the Philippines and Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM).
For more details, click below to download the full RECAAP 3Q 2021 report:
Source: RECAAP
