ReCAAP: Piracy Incident Reported in First Half of 2018 at Lowest Level in 10 Years

The number of maritime piracy incidents reported to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre in the first half of 2018 fell to its lowest number in the past 10 years, the agency reported Tuesday.

From January to June 2018, ReCAAP had a total of 40 incidents reported, of which 29 were actual incidents while 11 were attempted cases. Among those, 37 (92%) were armed robbery against ships and three (8%) were categorized as piracy.

This marks a 15% decrease compared to the same period in 2017 in the number of incidents reported, and the lowest number among the 10-year period (2009-2018), ReCAAP said.

Furthermore, there was no actual incident of abduction of crew or theft of oil cargo.

ReCAAP’s half-year report notes that while there was a decrease in the number of incidents near ports and anchorages in the Philippines so far this year, there was a slight increase of increase in the Singapore Strait and in Vietnam in the Sulu-Celebes Seas, which remain a concern.

“Looking back to the number of incidents in 2017 which increased by 16% compared to 2016, the 15% decrease in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 is welcome news Nonetheless, continued vigilance by all stakeholders is an effective deterrence to maritime crime, and we urge heightened measures to be taken in the areas of concern,” commented Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP ISC.

Established in 2006, the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) is the first regional government-to-government agreement to promote and enhance cooperation against piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. To date, 20 nations, including 14 Asian countries, 4 European countries, Australia, and the U.S., have become Contracting Parties.