Maritime piracy incidents fell to their lowest level since 1992 in the first nine months of 2026, but a resurgence in Somali piracy has raised concerns, according to the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
The IMB reported 51 piracy and armed robbery incidents globally between January and September 2026, the lowest since 1992. Yet Somali-based actors accounted for eight vessel hijackings and 94% of global crew hostages, according to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC). Regional spikes highlight persistent risks, particularly off the Horn of Africa, despite overall progress.
Global Drop Amid Regional Spikes
Incidents in the Gulf of Guinea and Singapore Straits dropped significantly. The latter saw 13 reported cases in 2026 compared to 73 in 2025. Somali piracy activity surged, with eight vessel hijackings and 94% of global crew taken hostage, according to IMB Director Michael Howlett. While incident levels are at their lowest in more than three decades, the recent uptick in Somali piracy activity is a reminder that the threat remains,
he said via the IMB.
The Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) freed the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 on September 29, discovering five crew members killed and four injured. Earlier, the Togo-flagged MT Eureka was released after nearly five months in captivity. Egyptian sailors returned home after 151 days. The drop in reported incidents in the Gulf of Guinea and Singapore Straits is encouraging… it is important to maintain this momentum,
Howlett added via the IMB.
Between 2005 and 2012, Somali pirates carried out more than 1 000 attacks on foreign ships, successfully hijacking 218 vessels and taking 3 700 sailors hostage. The IMB noted current incidents are not comparable in scale to the 2008-2013 era. These incidents highlight the continued capability of Somali pirates to target vessels in the region. Current numbers are lower than the peak recorded a decade and a half ago, according to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre.
The IMB commends the littoral states of the Gulf of Guinea for their efforts in keeping piracy incidents low, with only two reported in 2026. Reduced levels of reported incidents in the Indonesian Archipelagic continues,
the IMB reported, noting weapons were involved in one incident where a crew member was taken hostage.
Somali Piracy Rises as Causes Emerge
Professor Katja Lindskov Jacobsen, Director, Centre for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen, linked the Somali resurgence to shifting international focus. Piracy off Somalia is back but not in the same form as before. The removal of the High Risk Area at sea, relaxation of Best Management Practices, and the non-renewal of UN Security Council resolutions allowing international navies to enter Somali waters have contributed, she stated via defenceWeb.
#BREAKING: Tanzania-flagged cargo vessel MT ASANA has reportedly been hijacked by suspected Somali pirates off the coast of Yemen while sailing from Karachi, Pakistan, to Bosaso, Somalia.According to maritime security agencies UKMTO and Ambrey, the vessel issued a distress call… pic.twitter.com/JXBowzq9wi
Local factors also play a role. Puntland officials cited anger over foreign trawlers overfishing Somali waters, damaging the fishing industry. Maritime crime, however, does not legitimise piracy,
said Mohamed Mohamud Quluhiye, director of the Puntland Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. Despite the decline, 105 crew members were threatened or injured in 2026, with 53% of incidents involving weapons via the IMB.
The IMB noted 86% of incidents involved successful vessel access, with most boardings occurring at night. While BMP recommendations have proven effective, the Puntland authorities reported five crew deaths and five injuries prior to the release of the MT Honour 25 via the IMB. The Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) freed the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 on September 29, discovering five crew members killed and four injured.
Between 2005 and 2012, Somali pirates carried out more than 1 000 attacks on foreign ships. In 2011, Somali pirates carried out more than 200 attacks and held hundreds of crew members hostage. One such incident inspired the film, Captain Phillips. Some piracy incidents have been deadly, with five crew members killed in the MT Honour 25 case.
Experts Warn of Ongoing Risks
Despite the global decline, the IMB highlighted the risk environment remains uneven and unpredictable,
with Somali-linked incidents serving as a reminder of localized threats.
There are fewer frigates in the European Union Naval Force’s Operation Atalanta, for example. Some naval forces are also adopting more stringent approaches against pirates – for instance, rescue operations conducted by Turkey and Puntland’s maritime authorities have led to fatalities. The IMB urges all shipmasters and owners to report all piracy and armed robbery incidents to the IMB PRC as a critical initial step to ensuring that sufficient resources are allocated by authorities to tackle maritime piracy.
The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) functions as a critical global, 24-hour central hub to report crimes of piracy and armed robbery and to provide support to ships under threat. Founded in 1991, the PRC has been instrumental in tracking and responding to piracy incidents. Recent data show a decline in global cases but a notable increase in Somali-linked activity.
Somali pirates have hijacked at least six international commercial vessels off the coast of northern Somalia’s Puntland state since April, including two in mid-August.This level of piracy has not occurred since the peak of Somali piracy over a decade ago.Sustained piracy is… pic.twitter.com/oM0OBDmGsg