In the first nine months of 2024, reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery fell to the lowest levels since 1994, according to the latest report by the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB). Despite the lowest reported incidents in three decades, IMB and its Piracy Reporting Centre warns that crew safety remains at risk.
IMB reported 79 incidents for the period of January-September 2024, down from 99 incidents in the same period last year. This marks a significant overall reduction and the lowest reported numbers since 1994.
From January to September, 62 vessels were boarded, six were hijacked while nine faced attempted attacks and two were fired upon. In 86% of incidents, perpetrators successfully gained access to the vessel with most incidents occurring at night.
Violence towards crew members remains concerning, with 111 crew taken hostage, 11 kidnapped and three threatened. Perpetrators were armed with weapons, guns, and knives in 45 of the reported incidents.
Source: ICC Commercial Crime Services.