According to the International Maritime Bureau, In Q1 2023, occurrences of Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships are at their lowest level since 1993. Our latest Spotlight Report focuses on Maritime Crime: Piracy – A Cyclical Threat. 

If history tells us anything, it is that piracy and other maritime crime is cyclical. Over the centuries, the level of threat has risen and fallen, changing its character, its location, and its intensity as a result of many diverse factors.  

The factors leading to acts of piracy vary, the reasons can be related to changes in the global economic situation, power struggles, national instability and conflict, and even environmental issues which can create a necessity or the opportunity for criminals to carry out acts of maritime crime.

Although after years of concerted efforts to eliminate it, “modern-day piracy” is currently in decline, it remains too early to count it out entirely.

Seafarers around the world still face considerable threats, and although the character of those threats is changing, vigilance is still vitally important. Vessel operators should not lower their guard, the threat may have changed but it is still there, taking precautions and security measures to mitigate the risks are still as relevant as ever and is a vital part of a ship’s security plan which most importantly, should consider the safety of a vessel’s crew.

Download our latest Spotlight Report focusing on Maritime Crime: Piracy – A Cyclical Threat.