Global Pirate Attacks Increase
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The AP reported that pirate attacks rose worldwide in the first quarter of the year, with Nigeria overtaking Indonesia as the country worst plagued by sea bandits, a global maritime watchdog said.
Seafarers suffered 49 attacks between January and March around the world, up 20 percent from the 41 recorded in the same period last year, the International Maritime Bureau said in a report by its piracy reporting center in Malaysia.
Nigeria ranked as the No. 1 hotspot amid a lack of effective law enforcement, with its 10 reported attacks.
Myriad armed groups roam the Niger Delta, where violence has slashed oil production and helped propel oil prices to new highs. Nigeria produces about 2.1 million barrels of oil a day, the largest output in Africa.
Security also improved in the Straits of Malacca, a bustling shipping route shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. No attacks were reported this year, compared to two by this time in 2007. The waterway has long been notorious for attacks, but the three countries have bolstered patrols in recent years.
Other countries recording attacks in the first quarter included Tanzania with four, and the Philippines, Bangladesh, Peru, Angola, Ghana and Mozambique with two each.
Source: AP
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