Acts of ocean piracy rose 20 percent in the first quarter of this year, with waters off Nigeria emerging as the worst pirate hotspot, a watchdog said yesterday.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said in its quarterly report that there were 49 attacks on shipping globally in the first three months of 2008, up from 41 in the same 2007 period.

Merchant shipping carries more than 90 percent of the world's traded goods by volume.

"The use and threat of violence against crew members remains unacceptably high," the London-based IMB said in a report, adding that in the majority of incidents the attackers were heavily armed with guns and knives.

"A total of 36 vessels were boarded and one vessel hijacked. Seven crew members were taken hostage, six kidnapped, three killed and one missing presumed dead," it said.

The IMB said Nigeria topped the list with 10 cases reported.

Vessels have been fired upon and crew injured as a result. It said many of the attacks took place off Lagos.

India and the Gulf of Aden shared second place with five reported incidents each. The incidents in India were low-level attacks aimed at theft from the vessel, it said.

The attacks in the Gulf of Aden were aimed at hijacking the vessel and taking it to small ports in eastern Somalia, it said.

Waters around Somalia continued to be notorious for hijacking of vessels and the abduction of crew for ransom, it added.

The IMB said there has been a sustained drop in the number of cases in Indonesia, with only four incidents reported in the first three months. It had nine cases a year ago and 19 in 2006.

"Indonesia Navy and the police should be commended for the anti-piracy measures taken," it said.

The Malacca Strait posted no cases in the first quarter. It praised the littoral states - Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore - for their cooperation in patrolling the busy sea lane.

The strait links Asia with the Middle East and Europe. More than 60,000 ships a year traverse the waterway, carrying about 80 percent of the energy supplies of Japan and China.

"There is no room for complacency," the IMB said. "It is vital that law enforcement resources remain deployed in this area if the attacks are not to resume."

Agencies

(China Daily 04/17/2008 page11)