Alarming 60pc leap in pirates attacking ships in Asian waters

Asian waters, including the South China Sea, are becoming more dangerous for ships and their crews after the number of pirate and armed robbery attacks soared 60 per cent last year to 164 incidents, up from 102 in 2009. This was the largest number since at least 2006.

The Regional Co-operation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, a body backed by 17 Asian, European and Scandinavian governments, said the figures included 25 actual and attempted incidents in the South China Sea. Most of these attacks were off Pulau Anambas, Pulau Mangkai and Pulau Subi Besar in Indonesia, close to the main east-west shipping lane at the southwestern end of the South China Sea.

Other hot spots were Indonesia where there were 45 actual and attempted attacks, and Malaysia which had 20 actual incidents.

While the number of attacks increased, the Singapore-based organisation said the situation improved in India and the Strait of Malacca where the number of incidents fell compared with 2009.

The group said last year's figures incorporated four vessel hijackings that included three tugs that were seized by pirates off the east coast of Malaysia. Crews from the three ships were rescued and the tugs recovered.

But the fourth incident involved the hijacking of the 44,377 deadweight tonne dry cargo vessel Jahan Moni which was taken by Somalian pirates 280 nautical miles from Kochi in southwest India on December 5.

The group said the number of serious incidents had 'remained fairly constant' during the past five years the body had been in existence. But there had been a dramatic increase in more moderate incidents which typically involve the theft of personal property of the crew or ship's stores by pirates armed with knives or firearms.