Reported acts of maritime piracy, defined by the International Maritime Organisation as - “an act of boarding or attempting to board any ship with the apparent attempt to commit theft or any other crime, and with the apparent intent or capability to use force in the furtherance of that act” – have continued to reduce, according to the International Maritime Bureau 2007 Annual report.Against this general decline, two notable hotspots which have seen dramatic increases in piracy activity are the Gulf of Aden and Nigeria. In Nigeria, reported attacks in 2007 were up 350% on 2006, accounting for about 1/5th of all attacks worldwide. And in August 2008 the US Navy declared the Gulf of Aden a Maritime Security Patrol Area, deploying ships and aircraft to police it.
The 2007 Annual Piracy Report, which contains details of the methodology used in many of the attacks, can be obtained from the ICC International Maritime Bureau http://www.icc-ccs.org/main/index.php
Alternatively, email David for a copy.
