More than 1,000 hostages and 53 ships seized by pirates last year

Pirates kidnapped a record number of hostages last year.

A total of 1,181 people were grabbed as 53 vessels were seized, a global maritime watchdog said.

All but four of the vessels were taken off the coast of Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

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The number of hostages and vessels taken "are the highest we have ever seen" since the centre began monitoring attacks in 1991, said director Pottengal Mukundan. "The continued increase in these numbers is alarming," he added.

Somali attacks accounted for 1,016 hostages held for ransom. Pirates from the country are currently holding 31 vessels and 713 crew members of various nationalities after hijacking another four ships so far this year.

The latest recorded incidents was on Monday when six pirates armed with guns and rocket propelled grenades in a skiff chased, fired upon and boarded a bulk carrier. They took 24 crew hostage and hijacked the ship.

A later attempt by five pirates in a white-hulled skiff who chased and fired upon a container ship was foiled by the ship's master who increased its speed and carried out evasive manoeuvres. The pirates gave up the chase.

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Somalia's position on the Horn of Africa means pirates can use its long coastline to capture ships. The country has not had a functioning government since a dictatorship collapsed in 1991, and an international flotilla of warships patrolling the waters has struggled to prevent hijackings. Firms have also begun using private armed security to accompany crews working in the area.

The naval patrols have foiled many attacks but pirates are moving farther offshore into the Arabian Sea to boost their success, the piracy reporting centre said.

Ships are urged to travel at full sea speed through designated high-risk areas to prevent being boarded and to make it more difficult for pirates to target ships with guns or grenades. Shipping firms are advised to liaise with the naval forces operating in the area with recommendations vessels should report their noon position, course, speed and destination and report in every six hours.

But, the IMB added: "All measures taken at sea to limit the activities of the pirates are undermined because of a lack of responsible authority back in Somalia."

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Overall, there were 445 pirate attacks worldwide last year, a 10 per cent rise from 2009. Eight crew members died – their deaths all attributed to Somali pirates.

Violent attacks and armed robberies were also notable in Indonesian waters, where 30 vessels were boarded. Bangladesh had 21 vessels boarded, mainly by attackers armed with knives at the port of Chittagong.

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