Piracy attacks on vessels in the commercial shipping sector are an on-going problem with particular hotspots in areas such as the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Guinea and the South China Sea.

Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS) has committed to helping suppress piracy in West African waters and to aiding seafarers caught in pirate attacks by signing the Gulf of Guinea Declaration.

The Round Table of Shipowner Associations and OCIMF have expressed their full support for the launch of Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has called for increased collaboration and action to tackle an escalation in the number and severity of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea region, which threatens the lives and well-being of seafarers and the safety of shipping.

The International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB)’s annual piracy report recorded an increase of piracy and armed robbery incidents in 2020. In 2020, IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) received 195 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships worldwide, in comparison to 162 in 2019.

The Cyprus Shipping Chamber (CSC) expresses regret and frustration over the ineffectiveness of the international community to address the continuing piracy crisis in the Gulf of Guinea.