MSC 70/15
5 From the information referred to above, it
emerges that the areas most affected (i.e. five incidents
reported or more), over the period under review, were the
South China Sea and the Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, South
America and West and East Africa. It also appears that, over
the period under review, the number of incidents, reported to
have occurred in 1997 and 1998, up to and as reported at the
end of August of each of these two years, has increased from
62 to 103 world-wide, from 22 to 42 in the South China Sea
and the Malacca Strait and from 9 to 20 in the Indian Ocean.
6 The number of incidents of piracy and armed
robbery against ships, which occurred from 1984 to the end of
August 1998, was 1278.
7 With regard to acts of piracy and armed
robbery against ships reported to the Organization since
preparation of document MSC 69/16, information thereon has
been circulated by means of monthly reports (MSC/Circ.841.
MSC/Circ.844, MSC/Circ.869, MSC/Circ.870, MSC/Circ.873 and
MSC/Circ.874) and quarterly reports (MSC/Circ.843 and
MSC/Circ.871 ).
8 From the information contained in seven of
the reports reproduced in the annex to MSC/Circ. 869, it
emerges that nine crew members of the ships involved had been
killed and six crew members had been wounded during the
reported incidents. It is also revealed that, on two
occasions, pirates had used false distress signals to deceive
their victims.
Action requested of the Committee
9 The Committee is invited to note the
information provided and take action as appropriate.
***
ANNEX
MONTHLY COMPARISON BETWEEN THE AUGUST 1997
AND 1998 FIGURES
Notes:
1 The population of records for 1997 only
includes reports received before 31/08/97.
2 The comparison between 1997 and 1998
figures does not reflect the fact that reports for 1998 may
have been forwarded quicker than reports for 1997.
I:/MSC/70/15
