Offshore Sailors Beware As Sea Kidnappings Rise

31st January 2017

The International Maritime Bureau maintains a live map of maritime piracy and armed robbery incidents (as seen Tuesday 31 January 2017)

#Piracy - Offshore cruisers are urged to be vigilant as the latest figures show a rise in sea kidnappings despite a global decrease in piracy.

Practical Boat Owner has more on a recent report from the ICC’s International Maritime Bureau identifying a number of zones and shipping routes where sea pirates are known to operate.

West Africa in the Gulf of Guinea and the waters around Malaysia and Indonesia are the biggest hotspots for kidnappings, which tripled worldwide in 2016 on the previous year’s figures.

Only weeks ago a German sailor was abducted and his companion killed off the southern Philippines, eight years after the couple were held hostage by Somali pirates.

The Royal Yachting Association urges cruisers in vessels “which are slow and low remain vulnerable from opportunistic attacks and hijackings” to steer clear of such danger zones.

Published in Offshore

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MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

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