Indonesia's dangerous waters: Piracy abounds

LONDON - A recent report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) found that Indonesian waters were the world's most pirate-infested last year with 103 recorded attacks.

The IMB, the maritime crime-fighting arm of the International Chamber of Commerce, warned in its annual piracy report for 2002 that unless the Indonesian authorities stepped up their efforts to defeat piracy, the area will remain a high risk to shipping.

In a marked contrast, there was a sustained reduction in attacks in the Malacca Straits, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, whose waters are shared between Indonesia and Malaysia. Only 16 piracy attacks were recorded there last year, one less than in 2001 and a substantial improvement on the 2000 figure of 75.

After Indonesia, the world's second black spot was Bangladesh with 32 attacks followed by India with 18. The number of total pirate attacks worldwide rose from 335 in 2001 to 370 last year.

The IMB noted that most attacks occurred while ships were at anchor. A marked increase in successful boarding by pirates combined with a drop in the number of attempted attacks suggested that many ships were complacent about the need for additional precautionary measures. "Vigilant shore-based patrols together with anti-piracy watch on ships are still the best deterrents," the report stated.

There was also a substantial rise in hijackings, up year-on-year from 16 to 25 incidents. Many involved smaller boats, such as tugs, barges and fishing boats, in the Indonesian sector of the Malacca Straits as well as other Indonesian territorial waters. Crime syndicates in the area were believed to be targeting vessels carrying valuable palm oil and gas oil.

"In some parts of the world it is all too easy to board a merchant vessel unlawfully. Against the current concern in respect of maritime terrorism, it is vital that coastal states allocate resources to patrolling their waters more effectively. Failing this, we do not foresee a reduction in these incidents," IMB director Captain Pottengal Mukundan said.

Although the number of crew killed worldwide in 2002 was down to 10 compared with 21 in 2001, that figure conceals a chilling statistic - 24 passengers or crew were missing, the majority of whom are likely dead. The report's summary of individual attacks on ships frequently noted that pirates threw crew members into the sea, leaving them to drown.

(ICC International Maritime Bureau)