Although Somaliland is not recognised as a state by the United Nations, the action, taken by coast guards trained by Western states, is significant in addressing one of the factors believed to have been behind the emergence of Somali piracy – the depletion of offshore fish stocks due to illegal fishing.
There has been a sharp decline in piracy originating from Somalia as a result of increased maritime security and international naval action, alongside other measures to stabilise the country and tackle the factors underlying lawlessness and piracy.
Meanwhile, piracy and armed robbery continue to be hazards to seafarers and shipping in many waters. Recent incidents reported to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) worldwide piracy reporting centre include the following:
- Three robbers armed with long knives boarded a tanker anchoring in Chittagong, Bangladesh on 17 December and were spotted stealing ship's stores. They escaped with the stolen goods after the alarm was raised.
- A port security watchman spotted a robber armed with a long knife on a chemical tanker anchored in Beira, Mozambique on 16 December and alerted the onboard watch, who raised the alarm. The robber and an accomplice escaped after threatening the port watchman.
- Four robbers in a small boat approached a research vessel anchored at Pointe Noire, Congo on 13 December, and two boarded and stole ship's property from the engine room. They escaped with the stolen property after they were spotted and the alarm was raised.
All attacks and suspicious sightings should be reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, tel: +603 2031 0014 (24 hours), email: imbkl@icc-ccs.org
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