By Wisdom JONNY-NUEKPE
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) reported 116 piracy and armed robbery incidents in the country’s territorial waters between January and December last year.
These attacks, according to IMB, included 94 vessels boarded, 13 attempted attacks, six hijacked vessels and three vessels fired upon.
Equally, some 126 crew members were taken hostage; 12 crew kidnapped and 12 threatened; and one crew member injured, it said. The IMB also said there were guns reported in 26 incidents and knife-attacks in 39 of the cases.
Safety concerns
With regard to safety in Ghana’s territorial waters, the Bureau noted that the number of crew taken hostage or kidnapped has increased.
The report raised concerns about the rising use of weapons and ongoing threats to crew safety, which remain a significant issue.
The IMB recommends that vessel owners and operators adhere to IMB guidelines. It also urged governments and law enforcement bodies to be vigilant in their work to ensure safety in coastal and territial waters.
The Bureau also advocated a proper legal framework to combat maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.
Threats and cost of piracy in Gulf of Guinea
In recent years, the Gulf of Guinea has been labelled the world’s ‘hotspot’ for piracy. In 2020, over forty percent of reported piracy incidents occurred in the Gulf of Guinea (81 incidents out of 195 globally), according to the IMB.
Moreover, since 2019 the Gulf of Guinea has experienced an unprecedented rise in the number of crew kidnappings.
In 2020, 130 crew members were kidnapped in 22 separate incidents – accounting for over 95 percent of the world’s kidnapped seafarers.
A December 2021 study by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the non-profit Stable Seas, estimated that ransom payments to Gulf of Guinea pirate gangs generated approximately US$5million annually. Especially significant, according to the study, were piracy’s effects on trade – with direct and indirect costs for twelve Gulf of Guinea countries including Ghana.
The UNODC has indicated that the threat of piracy has been costing the Gulf of Guinea over US$1.9billion in financial losses every year. The threats also include loss of lives, stability among others.
However, the United Nations has said although the Gulf of Guinea has witnessed a steady decline in incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea, more must be done to fully operationalise the region’s maritime security architecture.
