Kuala Lumpur - An international piracy watchdog on Friday warned of increasingly violent attacks on seafarers, particularly in waters off Nigeria and Somalia, and called for greater international cooperation to increase security. The London-based International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said although the number of worldwide piracy attacks in the first six months of 2008 had dropped to 114, from 126 cases in 2007, the number of violent attacks had increased.
A total of 71 vessels were boarded, 12 were hijacked and 11 were fired upon in the first six months of 2008, the IMB said in its quarterly report released in Kuala Lumpur.
A total of 190 crew members were taken hostage, six kidnapped, seven killed and another seven are missing and presumed dead, the report noted.
"The frequency and level of violence directed at seafarers is cause for alarm," said IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan.
"The abduction of crew and the increasing use of automatic weapons remains unacceptable," he said.
Somalia recorded the highest number of piracy attacks at 24 cases, followed by Nigeria with 18 cases.
The IMB noted that of the 24 Somali incidents, 19 attacks occurred in the Gulf of Aden where pirates were armed with rocket propelled grenade launchers and automatic weapons.
Also in Somali's coastline, eight vessels were hijacked and 157 crew members taken hostage, the report said.
The IMB hailed the drop of pirate attacks in Indonesian waters, once a hotspot for attacks, and attributed the increased security to efforts by the government.
The report noted that many piracy cases worldwide go unreported, and urged seafarers to lodge reports should they become victims of attacks.
