SE Asia Accounts for More than Half of the World’s Piracy Attacks

Piracy in the Gulf of Aden, which was the scourge of global shipping from 2011-14 has all but disappeared. But the problem is far from solved, whilst global piracy has dropped overall in the past few years the start of 2015 has seen a consistent rise in attacks.

Responsible for this increate are both the Gulf of Guinea, which remains a hotspot for armed robbery at sea and kidnap for ransom, and south east Asia. 

Piracy in the waters off Indonesia, the Malakka and Singapore Straights has risen almost exponentially, representing almost 40 per cent of 2015 attacks globally.

The majority of these incidents related to illegal oil bunkering. Singapore is the bunkering capital of the world, with incidents even occurring within the city-state’s famous port. Vessels arrange illicit ship-to-ship (STS) transfers without paying the proper fees and avoid the designated areas. 

Weak legislation and lax fines are abused as primarily Singapore-flagged and owned vessels bunker with their automatic identification systems (AIS) shut off to avoid suspicion. This lucrative industry with individuals able to earn between €30,000 up to €500,000 for each successful hit.