Number of Attacks so far in 2002:

Most of the number of attacks that have been reported have been published in the Weekly Piracy Reports at the Web site of the International Chamber of Commerce. The first quarterly piracy report of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB)² puts the number for the first 3 months at 87. The second quarterly report of the IMB³ puts the number for the first 6 months at 171. The third quarterly report of the IMB⁸ puts the number for the first 9 months at 271. During the first nine months the number of incidents in Indonesian waters remains the highest. The number of incidents in African waters has increased markedly, however: over a third of the reports occurred there. The African countries that account for most incidents in this period are: Guinea, Nigeria, Somalia, Tanzania, the Ivory Coast and the Red Sea. After the first 9 months a number of weekly reports¹ have been published by the IMB which puts the total number of reported incidents at (271+76 =) 347. On 30 January the IMB published it's Annual Report for 2002¹². This report put the total number of reported incidents for 2002 at 370.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has so far reported on 246 incidents in the first nine months, according to the first⁴, second ⁵, and third quarterly report¹⁰ of this year. The six monthly reports contain 145 incidents. 51 reported incidents in the first 2 monthly reports still concern 2001. A monthly report for July⁶, August⁷ and September⁹ have been published. In the monthly report on October¹¹ 54 incidents were reported but some of these were already reported in previous IMO reports. The monthly report for December 2002¹³ contains 28 incidents. Including them puts the total number of reported incidents by the IMO at 329. The July report is the first in this series that indicates, in addition to whether the incident was an (alleged) attempt or an (alleged) attack, whether the incident took place in port or international waters.

One of the reasons mentioned for the increase in incidents is the global economic slowdown. Other reasons include the sharp rise in hijackings for ransom, particularly in the areas of Somalia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In most cases the hijackings are either the result of local gangs or guerrillas trying to raise money. The Americas also shows an increase compared to last year. The increase is particularly high in Guyana, Ecuador and Venezuela.
If I make an estimate of incidents NOT reported in the IMB Weekly reports based on the "Comparison of 2001 Figures of the International Maritime Bureau" the total number could be as high as: 271 + (76 / 3 * 4) = 372,33.
There have also been a few incidents which have been reported in newspapers and at the websites of the Int'l Vessel Cas. D'base and the ASAM database which have so far not been included in official reports by either the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) or the International Maritime Organization. The total number is therefore, according to my conservative estimate, somewhere around: 365.
The graph below contains only the incidents from the weekly reports set out against the reports for 2001! The graph shows a general increase of reported incidents in the weekly reports for 2002 as compared to 2001. A conservative estimate for the whole of 2002 puts the number at 375. My conservative estimate of 375 was not too far off the total reported by the IMB in her annual report: 370.

Other information available in the PDF file:

• Details on an attack of terrorists on a French tanker near Yemen
• Information on maritime security and a warning by the International Maritime Bureau
• Joint drills by Japan Coast Guard
• Protection system against being boarded by pirates
• Patrolling waters and Escorting vessels by Singapore
• Report on pirate problem in Vietnamese and Cambodian waters
• Pirates captured in Nigeria, Vietnam and Bangladesh
• United States legislation on maritime security and the European Union
• Results of the Conference by the Maritime Security Committee of the IMO
• Bilateral agreement between Indonesia and the Philippines
• Problems with pirate gangs and hijackings in the Malacca Straits

Sources:

1. Weekly piracy report: 1 October 2002 to 7 October 2002. - 2002 Oct 8. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 148])
   Weekly piracy report: 8 October 2002 to 14 October 2002. - 2002 Oct 15. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 149])
   Weekly piracy report: 15 October 2002 to 21 October 2002. - 2002 Oct 22. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 150])
   Weekly piracy report: 22 October 2002 to 28 October 2002. - 2002 Oct 29. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 151])
   Weekly piracy report: 29 October 2002 to 4 November 2002. - 2002 Nov 5. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 152])
   Weekly piracy report: 5 November 2002 to 11 November 2002. - 2002 Nov 12. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 153])
   Weekly piracy report: 12 November 2002 to 18 November 2002. - 2002 Nov 19. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 154])
   Weekly piracy report: 19 November 2002 to 25 November 2002. - 2002 Nov 26. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 155])
   Weekly piracy report: 26 November 2002 to 2 December 2002. - 2002 Dec 3. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 156])
   Weekly piracy report: 3 December 2002 to 9 December 2002. - 2002 Dec 10. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 157])
   Weekly piracy report: 10 December 2002 to 16 December 2002. - 2002 Dec 17. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 158])
   Weekly piracy report: 17 December 2002 to 23 December 2002. - 2002 Dec 24. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 159])
   Weekly piracy report: 24 December 2002 to 30 December 2002. - 2002 Dec 31. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 160])
   Weekly piracy report: 31 December 2002 to 6 January 2003. - 2003 Jan 7. - (Weekly piracy report ; [nr. 161])
2. Piracy and armed robbery against ships: report for the period 1 January - 31 March 2002 / Piracy Reporting Centre. - London : ICC International Maritime Bureau. Piracy Reporting Centre, 2002 April [?]
3. Piracy and armed robbery against ships: report for the period 1 January - 30 June 2002 / Piracy Reporting Centre. - London : ICC International Maritime Bureau. Piracy Reporting Centre, 2002 July
4. First quarterly report (January to, and including, March 2002). - London : International Maritime Organization. Maritime Safety
   Committee, 2002 April [?]. - (Reports on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships ; MSC.4/Circ.19)
5. Second quarterly report (April to, and including, June 2002). - London : International Maritime Organization. Maritime Safety
   Committee, 2002 July. - (Reports on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships ; MSC.4/Circ.22)
6. Acts reported during July 2002. - London : International Maritime Organization. Maritime Safety
   Committee, 2002 Aug 8. - (Reports on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships ; MSC.4/Circ.21)
7. Acts reported during August 2002. - London : International Maritime Organization. Maritime Safety
   Committee, 2002 Sept 16. - (Reports on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships ; MSC.4/Circ.23)
8. Piracy and armed robbery against ships: report for the period 1 January - 30 September 2002 / Piracy Reporting Centre. - London : ICC International Maritime Bureau. Piracy Reporting Centre, 2002 October 21
9. Acts reported during September 2002. - London : International Maritime Organization. Maritime Safety
   Committee, 2002 Oct 8. - (Reports on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships ; MSC.4/Circ.24)
10. Third quarterly report (July to, and including, September 2002). - London : International Maritime Organization. Maritime Safety
    Committee, 2002 Oct 30. - (Reports on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships ; MSC.4/Circ.26)
11. Acts reported during October 2002. - London : International Maritime Organization. Maritime Safety
    Committee, 2002 Nov 8. - (Reports on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships ; MSC.4/Circ.25)
12. Piracy and armed robbery against ships - annual report: 1 January-31 December 2002
    / Piracy Reporting Centre. - Barking, United Kingdom : ICC International Maritime Bureau,
    2003 Jan 30. - (Piracy and armed robbery against ships - annual report)
13. Acts reported during December 2002. - London : International Maritime Organization. Maritime Safety
    Committee, 2002 Jan 20. - (Reports on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships ; MSC.4/Circ.28)