JOC Staff | Jan 16, 2013 3:00PM EST
Pirates attacked 297 ships in 2012, a five-year low and a 32 percent decrease compared with 2011’s 439 ship attacks, according to a global piracy report by the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau.
The report showed that worldwide figures were brought down by a “huge” reduction in Somali piracy, though East and West Africa remain the worst-hit areas, with 150 attacks in 2012.
Globally, 174 ships were boarded by pirates last year, 28 were hijacked and 28 were fired upon. IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre also recorded 67 attempted attacks.
The number of people taken hostage onboard fell to 585 in 2012 from 802 in 2011.
