The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) today released its half-yearly report, with good news to report as the levels of attacks on ships in Asia have dropped to their lowest levels in a decade.
There were a total of 40 incidents reported from January to June 2018, of which 29 were actual incidents while 11 were attempted cases. Of the 40 incidents reported, 37 (92%) were armed robbery against ships and three (8%) were piracy. This marks a 15% decrease compared to the same period in 2017 in the number of incidents reported. This is also the lowest number among the 10-year period (2009-2018) of January to June. Moreover, there was no actual incident of abduction of crew or theft of oil cargo.
“Looking back to the number of incidents in 2017 which increased by 16% compared to 2016, the 15% decrease in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 is welcome news. Nonetheless, continued vigilance by all stakeholders is an effective deterrence to maritime crime, and we urge heightened measures to be taken in the areas of concern,” said Masafumi Kuroki, executive director of ReCAAP ISC.
