International maritime associations declare victory over piracy near Somalia
The Indian Ocean has cancelled the status of “high-risk area” from January 1, 2023
Piracy near the shores of Somalia no longer poses a threat for international navigation, says a statement, published by six different organizations, including the London-based International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), on Monday.
According to the ICS statement, “after more than a decade of effective threat-reducing counter-piracy operations, the shipping industry has removed the ‘Indian Ocean High Risk Area’ (HRA),” starting on January 1, 2023.
The statement notes that this has become possible due to “concerted counter-piracy efforts by many regional and international stakeholders.”
The ICS and the five other navigation associations have informed the International Maritime Organization about their decision.
According to the UN data, the highest piracy activity in this region of the Indian Ocean was registered in 2009-2011, when pirates carried out over 200 attacks on civilian ships every year. Starting in 2012, the number of such attacks has reduced to one third, and in 2013-2014, it stood at about 10 attacks per year. There have been no attacks since 2018, which is being attributed to international anti-piracy measures.
