Transportation 60 piracy incidents on the world's oceans in the first half of the year

There were 60 pirate attacks and attempted attacks on the world's oceans in the first half of the year. This was reported by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) based in London.

The number of incidents is therefore at a similar level to previous years: There were 65 incidents in the same period in 2023, 58 in 2022 and 68 in 2021. The IMB is an organization of the International Chamber of Commerce.

However, violence against crew members has increased significantly: 85 people were taken hostage in the first half of the year. In the previous comparable period, the figure was 36.

"The risk of piracy on the world's oceans remains high, and the threat to the life and limb of crews has increased significantly," said Oliver Wieck, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce for Germany. It is important for global trade as a whole to keep international sea routes open and safe.

According to the figures, there were 13 attacks and attempted attacks in the Straits of Singapore - the most of any region. Twelve incidents occurred in Indonesia, ten in Bangladesh and seven in Somalia. In 84 percent of cases, the pirates were able to board or hijack ships, according to the IMB.