2022 in piracy explained

2022 in piracy resulted in 115 reports of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships to the International Maritime Bureau.[1] 288 acts of global piracy and robbery were recorded by the MICA Centre. Piracy had substantially increased in the Gulf of Guinea; the year began with five incidents each month, through March, in the Gulf, where acts of piracy had become heightened during 2015 through 2020, while, overall, piracy incidents declined globally.[2]

The Covid-19 pandemic continued to impact maritime piracy in 2022.[3] [4]

The Rwabee hijacking and hostage-taking in January had incentivized a return to coordinated naval anti-piracy measures on the Aden coast and in the Red Sea.[5] In 2024, research would indicate that the United Nations Security Council resolution for foreign navies to patrol Somali territorial waters had lapsed, in March, 2022, with the need for it to continue being then unperceived.[6] [7]

Piracy and armed robbery in the Singapore Strait accounted for 65% of piracy incidents in Asia in 2022, according to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCaap).[8] The Caribbean was also among the most affected areas.[9] The Strait saw an increase in piracy,[3] [10] accounting for close to 30% of incidents,[11] as did Asia's, Celebs and Sulu Seas, Manila anchorages, and in the disputed waters of the eastern Sabah coast in Asia.[12]

Efforts to reduce piracy off the coast of Somalia appeared to have succeeded, with no ship hijackings for ransom since March 2017.[13] [14] Globally, incidents of piracy and armed robbery at anchor or at sea were at their lowest levels since 1992, with the vast majority of events occurring at night, under cover of darkness.[15]

The United Nations published The situation with respect to piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia in November.[16]

India enacted its first domestic anti-piracy legislation as the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act 2022, criminalizing maritime piracy and empowering Indian agencies with the authority to respond to threats.[17]

Sea piracy by cyberattack using ransomware had also become a growing threat to shipping companies.[18] [19]

Events

B Ocean

B Ocean tanker was stolen by pirates twice in 2022, first, in January, and then, again, in November.[20] [21] Flagged by the Marshall Islands, the tanker was boarded by eight armed pirates about 274 nautical miles south of Cote d'Ivorie, in November, who stole the ship's petroleum and damaged the vessel, before releasing ship and crew.[20]

MV Rwabee

On January 3, MV Rwabee was hijacked by Houthis in the Red Sea. The UAE-flagged cargo ship was said to be transporting civilian medical supplies.[22] Hostages, including 11 crew, were released in April.[23]

US Saildrone Explorer

During August 29–30, a support ship from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) attempted to capture a U.S. Navy surface vessel in the Persian Gulf.[24] Shahid Baziar continued towing the unmanned Saildrone Explorer for about four hours before releasing it, while being shadowed and radioed by the USS Thunderbolt.[25]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022 Annual IMB Piracy and Armed Robbery Report . www.icc-ccs.org . International Maritime Bureau . 21 April 2024.
  2. News: What will keep ships — and people — safer in the Gulf of Guinea? . 21 April 2024 . Washington Post.
  3. Web site: The surprising link between piracy and Covid-19 . lowyinstitute.org . Lowy Institute . 23 April 2024.
  4. Web site: Piracy & the Pandemic: Maritime Crime in Southeast Asia, 2020-22 . channel16.dryadglobal.com . DRYAD Global . 23 April 2024.
  5. Web site: UAE, and joint naval force after Rwabee hijack . 14 January 2022 . Tactical Report . 22 April 2024.
  6. News: Somali pirates return, adding to global shipping crisis . 22 April 2024 . Reuters.
  7. Web site: Singh . Gurjit . Maritime menace: Resurgence of Somali piracy . orfonline.org . Observer research Foundation . 22 April 2024.
  8. Web site: ReCAAP ISC Annual Report 2022 . recaap.org . ReCaap . 22 April 2024.
  9. News: French Navy's 2022 Report On Global Maritime Security . 22 April 2024 . Naval News.
  10. News: Piracy, sea robberies in the Singapore Strait on the rise: Anti-piracy group . 23 April 2024 . The Straits Times.
  11. Web site: IMB: 37 piracy incidents reported since beginning of 2022 . safety4sea.com . 13 April 2022 . Safety4Sea . 21 April 2024.
  12. Web site: Singapore Strait Remains a Hotspot for Maritime Armed Robbery . maritime-executive.com . The maritime executive . 22 April 2024.
  13. News: Shipping industry says piracy off coast of Somalia is no longer a threat . 21 April 2024 . Financial Times.
  14. Web site: Piracy, Armed Robbery Declining in Gulf of Guinea, But Enhanced National, Regional Efforts Needed for Stable Maritime Security, Top Official Tells Security Council . United Nations . 21 April 2024 . 2022-11-22.
  15. Web site: Maritime Piracy Incidents at Lowest Levels in Decades . hstoday.us . 19 October 2022 . Homeland Security Today . 21 April 2024.
  16. Web site: S/2022/819 . The situation with respect to piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia. un.org . United Nations . 22 April 2024 . 22 November 2022.
  17. News: 9 pirates being brought to India to face legal action, says Navy a day after rescuing 23 Pakistani crew from Iranian fishing vessel. 4 May 2024 . The Economic Times.
  18. Web site: Cyber pirates . maritime-executive.com . The Maritime Executive . 21 April 2024. 22 November 2022.
  19. News: Cyber Pirates Prowling Ship Controls Threaten Another Big Shock . 22 April 2024 . Bloomberg News . Bloomberg.
  20. Web site: Korean Tanker Boarded by Pirates for the Second Time in Gulf of Guinea . The Maritime Executive . 22 April 2024.
  21. News: PIRACY: For Second Time in 2022, Korean Tanker; B Ocean Hijacked in Gulf of Guinea . 22 April 2024 . Daily Trend . Daily Trend Media Network.
  22. News: Yemen's Houthis reject UN call to free UAE-flagged ship . 22 April 2024 . Al Jazeera.
  23. News: Yemen's Houthis release crew of seized Emirati cargo vessel -spokesman . 22 April 2024 . Reuters.
  24. Web site: U.S. Navy Foils Iranian Attempt to Capture Unmanned Vessel in Arabian Gulf . dvidshub.net . DVIDS . 22 April 2024.
  25. News: US says Iran seized and then released American sea drone in Persian Gulf . 22 April 2024 . The Times of Israel.

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