Piracy and armed robbery levels at lowest for more than 20 years

Last year witnessed the fewest incidents of piracy and armed robbery against vessels since 1995 according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), a branch of the International Chamber of Commerce.

A total of 180 incidents were reported to the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre in 2017. These were: 136 vessels boarded, 22 attempted attacks, 16 vessels fired upon and six vessels hijacked.

In its annual report on piracy and armed robbery against ships, the IMB said: “Whilst the continued decline in overall numbers is welcome, the effects on crew and their safety continues to be a cause for concern.”