Pirate Attacks On Shipping At Six Year High

The ICC International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre’s (IMB PRC) annual report on piracy has revealed that their were 406 incidents of piracy and armed robbery on shipping throughout 2009. This is the highest number since 2003. According to the IMB PRC’s figures, some 153 vessels were boarded, 49 vessels were hijacked, 84 attempted attacks and 120 vessels fired upon – compared to 46 ships fired upon in 2008.