Rising Maritime Piracy A Major Concern For Indian Seafarers

Rising Maritime Piracy A Major Concern For Indian Seafarers

 December 29, 2020

According to the Maritime Union Of India (MUI), the rising incidents of maritime piracy is a matter of great concern of two lakh Indian seafarers at the sea.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, there have been around 26% increase in maritime piracy with the West Coast of Africa becoming the new hot spot.

MUI also raised its concern on the inability of some countries to control and offer support in stopping increasing piracy.

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According to ICC – International Maritime Bureau, there has been a major rise in piracy and armed robbery in 2020, with 40% increase in the number of kidnappings reported in the Gulf of Guinea.

There were around 132 attacks on seafarers in 2020 with 85 crew members kidnapped and 31 held hostages.

Moreover, there is a huge cost of piracy to shipping companies who pay billions of dollars to sea pirates as ransom.

The article appeared in the economictimes.indiatimes.com