News:The International Chamber of Commerce has released the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) annual piracy report.
Facts:
Key takeaways from the report:
- There was an overall decline in piracy incidents globally in the year 2019.
- However,there was an alarming increase in piracy related incidents across the Gulf of Guinea.
- The number of crew kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea increased more than 50% from 78 in 2018 to 121 in 2019.This equates to over 90% of global kidnappings reported at sea.
About Gulf of Guinea:
- The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
- The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian (zero degrees latitude and longitude) is in the gulf.
- Among the many rivers that drain into the Gulf of Guinea are the Niger and the Volta.
