Maritime piracy increased worldwide last year, French maritime centre reports

Maritime piracy increased worldwide last year, French maritime centre reports
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Maritime piracy increased globally in 2024,  with renewed tensions in the Red Sea and off the Horn of Africa among the contributing factors, the MICA Centre, a French maritime security organisation reports.

There were 60 acts of piracy worldwide last year, a 110% rise compared to 2023, the MICA Centre, based at the French Navy headquarters in Brest, states in its latest annual report.

More than two-thirds (42) of the piracy cases occurred off the coast of Somalia, whereas the Gulf of Guinea, once the hotspot for maritime insecurity, recorded just six such incidents in 2024.

The pirates mainly target vessels involved in illegal fishing off the Somali coast.

Commander Thomas Scalabre of the MICA Centre described these actions as “retaliatory measures by local fishermen or Somali pirates.”

Sea traffic at the entrance to the Red Sea was also heavily disrupted by attacks from Houthi rebels (from Yemen) in the Bab-El-Mandeb strait. The Houthis targeted merchant ships with Israeli, British, or American interests.

“The Houthis claim to have hit more than 200 ships, but we recorded 124 attacks,” Scalabre noted. In these 124 attacks, 27 ships were slightly damaged and continued their journeys, while six suffered more severe damage.

Four sailors were killed, and a crew of 25 was held hostage for over 430 days.


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