Somali piracy has taken an “alarming turn” since the beginning of the year, becoming more “prevalent, lucrative and violent”.

According to Special Contingency Risks and Maritime & Underwater Security Consultants (MUSC), an estimated $65 million was paid in ransoms in the first quarter of 2011, compared with around $39 million in the same period of 2009.

At least 18 commercial vessels (10 of which were hijacked this year) and around 500 hostages are currently being held by Somali pirates.

Addressing a conference hosted by Willis, the specialists conceded that pirates have recently been forced to release several ships for lower than average ransoms.

However, MUSC suggests that a glut of hijacked vessels over-stretched pirates’ resources, and warns that once sufficient levels of hard currency have been accrued from “firesales”, operations will begin again in earnest.

The experts also revealed that three new dynamics have changed the nature of Somali piracy as follows:

Mother ships: Commercial vessels are being actively used by pirates as floating bases to launch attack skiffs, to resupply pirate attack groups and to conduct hijackings.

Personnel: The success of the pirates has attracted a new, more aggressive generation of practitioners from criminal gangs and even neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa.

This has led to an increase in violence towards seafarers with hostages being executed in 2011 for the first time. Five seafarers have been killed so far this year.

Increased ransoms and hijacking periods: The average ransom has reportedly increased from $2.1 million in the first quarter of 2009 to $4.6 million in the first quarter of 2011.

Simultaneously, the periods that hijacked ships are being held for is now roughly six months on average, up from 2009’s average of two to three months.

 

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