Pirate attacks still underreported

Pirate attacks still underreported    As two ships seized by pirates off Somalia were released, and another in Nigeria was taken, a group that tracks such incidents is calling for better reporting of such attacks.
   News service abs-cbnNEWS.com said the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs reported the chemical tanker Stolt Strength, which had been seized last November, was released on Tuesday with 23 Filipino seafarers on board.
   The Associated Press said another ship, the Lebanese-owned Sea Horse, was also released. The ship was captured April 14 with 19 crew as it headed to India to pick up more than 7,000 tons of U.N. food destined for Somalia.
   Meanwhile, the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said even though its tally of piracy attacks showed the number of such incidents almost doubled in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, such attacks may be undercounted.
   A total of 102 incidents were reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Center (PRC) in the first three months of 2009 compared to 53 incidents in the first quarter of 2008. The quarterly report also said attacks increased by almost 20 percent over the last quarter of 2008.
   The first quarter spike was due almost entirely to increased Somali pirate activity off the Gulf of Aden and the East Coast of Somalia. The two areas accounted for 61 of the 102 attacks during the first quarter compared to six incidents for the same period in 2008.
   IMB reported that worldwide a total of 34 vessels were boarded, 29 vessels fired upon, and nine vessels hijacked. A total of 178 crewmembers were taken hostage, nine were injured, five kidnapped, and two killed. In the majority of incidents, the attackers were heavily armed with guns or knives. In addition, violence against crewmembers continued to increase.
   “The navies have played a key role in controlling piracy in the Gulf of Aden,” IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan said. “It is vital that these naval operations continue.” He said that in January one in every six vessels attacked was successfully hijacked, with the rate decreasing to one in eight for February and one in 13 for March.
   In addition to Somalia, Nigeria continues to be a high-risk area. In the first quarter of 2009 IMB received reports of only seven incidents, although unconfirmed reports would suggest that at least a further 13 attacks had occurred in the same period. Nearly all incidents have taken place on vessels supporting and connected to the oil industry.
   Lloyds List reported Tuesday that the master and chief engineer of the product tanker Aleyna Mercan, operated by Istanbul-based shipping company MRC, were kidnapped by pirates on Monday.
   “It is important that all incidents off Nigeria are reported to the PRC,” Mukundan said. “This will enable a more complete picture to be presented by the international community to Nigerian authorities so that they can better prioritize and resource their law enforcement agencies to respond.”
   The report said Peru has seen an increased level of incidents in its waters, with seven attacks reported to the PRC, all of them successful. The last quarter of 2008 saw four incidents reported.