Global piracy acts drop to 14-year low

Worldwide acts of piracy fell to their lowest level last year since statistics were first established in 2008, a maritime security body said yesterday.

The Maritime Information Cooperation and Awareness Center (MICA), the France-based branch of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) which is headquartered in Malaysia, said there had been 300 reported acts of piracy and robbery last year.

The IMB had already reported in its quarterly report in October that such acts were at their lowest level since 1992.

In the Gulf of Guinea, off the west coast of Africa, just three ships were attacked in 2022 compared to 26 in 2019, the MICA said.

In the same area, the number of kidnappings dropped to two last year, from 146 in 2019.