Kuala Lumpur: Despite piracy incidents waning piracy watchdog the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has urged shipping companies to remain vigilant when sailing close to Somalia. The third quarter report from the IMB shows the number of piracy incidents around the world has fallen to a seven-year low.
“Although the number of attacks is down overall, the threat of attacks remains, particularly in the waters off Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea. It is vital that ship masters continue to be vigilant as they transit these waters,” said Potengal Mukundan, director of the IMB.
Somalia piracy attacks in the first nine months of 2013 dropped to 10, compared to 70 in the same period of 2012. “The vital role of the navies off the coast of Somalia should not be underestimated. Their presence ensures that pirates do not operate with the impunity they did before,” Mukundan said. [17/10/13]
