Piracy is on the rise, and coronavirus could make it worse

May 15, 2020

2020 has seen a 24% increase in pirate attacks and coronavirus could cause sn increase, as countries are crippled by the pandemic Image: REUTERS/NATO/Handout

Brandon Prins

Professor of Political Science & Global Security, University of Tennessee

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The world's oceans are getting safer from pirates

The annual evolution of annual piracy incidents Image: IMB Piracy Reporting Centre and Maritime Piracy Event and Location Data Project

In a photo from 2012, masked Somali pirate Hassan stands near a Taiwanese fishing vessel that washed up on a Somali shore after the pirates were paid a ransom and released the crew.

A masked Somali pirate Image: AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh

Overall piracy drops, but some places remain dangerous

Piracy in the Americas and off the coast of West Africa Image: IMB Piracy Reporting Centre

How piracy numbers are sizing up for 2020 Image: IMB Piracy Reporting Centre

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