Piracy falls to 51 incidents in nine months, the lowest since 1992, as Somali hijackings rise

The ICC International Maritime Bureau recorded 51 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships between January and September 2026, down from 116 in the same period of 2025 and the lowest nine-month figure since 1992. The number of seafarers directly affected rose, however, to 105 from 72, because of a resurgence of hijackings off Somalia.

Of the 51 incidents, 36 ships were boarded, eight hijacked, four fired upon and three reported attempted boardings. Perpetrators got on board in 86% of cases, with ships either at anchor or under way, and most boardings took place at night. Weapons were identified in 53% of incidents. Bulk carriers were the most frequent targets, with 20 ships, followed by 11 tankers and 10 container ships. Of the 105 crew affected, 90 were taken hostage, six injured, five killed, three threatened and one assaulted.

How serious is the Somali threat?

Somali pirates were responsible for all eight hijackings in the period and for 94% of the crew taken hostage worldwide. Most hijacked ships have been released with their crews reported safe. The exception is the Palau-flagged product tanker Honour 25, hijacked on 21 April: Puntland authorities reported in late September that five crew had been killed and five injured before the ship was released.

The IMB said the attacks do not match the scale or reach of the deep-sea operations of 2008 to 2013, and that ships following the latest Best Management Practices have continued to deter hijackings even when pirates boarded. IMB Director Michael Howlett said "the recent uptick in Somali piracy activity is a reminder that the threat remains", and that strict adherence to BMP "remains one of the most effective ways to deter hijacking attempts".

Where did incidents fall?

The Singapore Strait recorded the largest decline, to 13 incidents from 73, which the IMB attributed to action by local authorities. The cases there have changed character: in more than 69% of them perpetrators carried guns or knives and boarded every targeted ship, where earlier incidents were mostly low-level thefts by unarmed robbers who fled when seen. Two crew were taken hostage, two threatened and one injured.

In the Philippines nine anchored ships were boarded, six at Manila and three at Batangas, after no incidents in the same period of 2025; weapons were reported in five cases and two crew were taken hostage. Indonesian archipelagic waters recorded six incidents, down from nine. The Gulf of Guinea recorded two, none of them in the third quarter, and the IMB commended the coastal states for keeping numbers low.

The full nine-month figures were published on 15 October, and the bureau urged masters and owners to report all incidents.

This story is part of the Maritime Briefing of 18 October 2026.