No Somali pirate hijackings

The massive reduction in Somali pirate attacks on ships has been put down to greater co-operation, the use of armed guards and harsh jail terms.

No Somali pirate hijacking in nearly a year, says UN

The fight against Somali pirates has been so effective that they have not been able to mount a successful hijacking in nearly a year, the chair of the global group trying to combat the pirates has said.

American diplomat Donna Leigh Hopkins credited the combined efforts of international naval forces and increased security on ships, including the use of armed guards. But she also pointed to the jailing of 1,140 Somali pirates in 21 countries, “which started de-glamorising piracy”.

Somali pirates hijacked 46 ships in 2009, 47 in 2010, but only 25 in 2011, an indication that new on-board defences were working. In 2012, there were 75 attacks reported off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden – down from 237 in 2011 – and only 14 ships were hijacked, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

Click here to continue reading.

Source: The Guardian.