Piracy Attacks Decline In Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden

The International Maritime Bureau reported just one attempted attack by Somali pirates between July and September, a large decline from 36 in the same timeframe last year. According to Captain Bruce Legge, director of operations for the multinational Combine Maritime Forces, the drop is largely due to CMF’s coordinated anti-piracy efforts with the European Naval Force and NATO.

Other factors contributing to the decline include increased awareness for merchant ships and fishing vessels and the southwest monsoon period, which makes it harder for maritime pirates to get off the beach in Somalia.

Legge said that, while the figures were encouraging, it did not mean piracy was coming to an end or that there had been a dramatic improvement in security measures in the area.

“Our area of responsibility here stretches across a challenging 2.5 million square kilometres, an area about the size of mainland Australia,” he said.