From MarineCyprus, October 27:
The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) has released its statistics on piracy and sea robbery in Asia for January-September this year.
A total of 75 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships (comprising 73 actual incidents and two attempted incidents) were reported in Asia during January-September 2020 compared to 54 incidents (comprising 49 actual incidents and five attempted incidents) during January-September 2019.
This accounts for an increase of 39% in the total number of incidents reported during January-September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
Of the 75 incidents, 71 were incidents of armed robbery against ships and four were piracy incidents. The increase of incidents during January-September 2020 occurred in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, South China Sea and Singapore Strait. However, there was an improvement at the ports/anchorages in China and Malaysia during January-September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
Of concern was the continued increase of incidents onboard ships while underway in the Singapore Strait during January-September 2020 with 22 incidents, compared to 15 incidents during the same period in 2019.
The situation of the abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah remains a serious concern as demonstrated by the abduction incident on a fishing trawler on 17 Jan 20 off Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia where five crew were abducted; and information of planned kidnapping by members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sabah and Semporna, Malaysia targeting ships passing by Tawi-Tawi and Sabah waters....
....MUCH MORE
