Collective actions in the Gulf region have significantly calmed piracy and related sea-borne crimes along Africa’s coastline.
In the last three years, figures from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) show a steady decline in piracy along the stretch.
Piracy incidents fell sharply from 84 in 2020 to 19 in 2022.
Global figures are also a reflection of the drop in recent years, as the bureau received 115 incident reports last year, compared with the previous year’s figure of 132.
“The IMB applauds the prompt and decisive actions of the international navies and regional authorities in the Gulf of Guinea which have positively contributed to the drop in reported incidents and ensuring continued safety to crews and trade,” said the Bureau.
Whilst upbeat about the new trend, the IMB further urged sustained efforts to safeguard the gains that have been made so far.
The IMB added: “The IMB calls for efforts to be sustained worldwide as maritime piracy and armed robbery attacks reached their lowest recorded level in almost three decades.”
A safer trade route for vessels is a key cost factor in determining freight.