By Libby George
LAGOS, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Pirates are stepping up attacks on
ships in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, defying regional navies.
On Saturday, pirates off Nigeria kidnapped 15 sailors from a
Turkish container ship and killed one. Pirates in the Gulf of Guinea kidnapped 130 seafarers in 22
separate incidents last year, accounting for all but five of
those seized at sea worldwide. ARE THE PIRATES AND WHY ARE THEY ATTACKING?
The pirates come from Nigeria's turbulent Niger Delta,
experts say. The region produces the bulk of the nation's
petroleum, but is woefully underdeveloped, scarred by pollution
and has some of the highest unemployment in the country.
Bands of men desperate for money engage in a variety of
illegal but lucrative activities, including kidnapping, stealing
and refining oil, and piracy.
They often bring the kidnapped crew to the creeks that snake
through the swampy region.
WHY ARE THE PIRATES KIDNAPPING MORE SAILORS?
The International Maritime Bureau has tracked a steady
increase in kidnappings over recent years, affecting everyone
from fisherman to international supertanker crew. Pirates who
once stole cargo, or siphoned oil, discovered that some
companies will pay large sums to ransom kidnapped crew.
Last year's oil price crash and Nigeria's second recession
in five years worsened unemployment and economic hardship.
Max Williams, chief compliance officer for security firm
Africa Risk Compliance, said Saturday's attack reflects yet more
risk.
"Breaching the citadel and killing a crew member is a
serious escalation," Williams said.
Williams added that attacks further out to sea - Saturday's
attack took place 200 nautical miles offshore - reflected
increasing sophistication, as vessels further from shore are
less likely to have naval protection.
WHAT IMPACT ON TRADE?
The Gulf of Guinea borders more than 20 countries. The
waters are the key route in for everything from steel to soda in
a region that relies heavily on imports, and the main export
avenue for oil, cocoa, and other commodities.
Ships still ply the lucrative route, but at a cost. Jakob
Larsen, head of security with shipping trade association BIMCO,
said insurance costs rise due to attacks, and freight rates are
more expensive as some ships avoid the region, cutting the
number of available vessels.
Kidnapping and ransom insurance can also cost shipping
companies several million dollars annually, though most refuse
to discuss specifics due to fears it could make covered vessels
a target.
Such costs are typically passed to consumers, and Larsen
said there are also high indirect costs due to business and
investment that fail to materialize. WHAT RESPONSE HAS THERE BEEN?
In 2013, 25 countries in the region developed the Yaounde
Code, which established coordination on piracy and other
maritime crimes.
Nigeria has its own "Deep Blue" initiative to develop
maritime surveillance and security, and last year secured its
first conviction under a new anti-piracy law. Most countries in the region bar international navies or
armed private security staff from their waters.
Foreign navies, such as France, Spain and Italy, already
patrol the region's international waters, but BIMCO said there
is an "urgent need" for a coordinated international law
enforcement operation.
Denmark's A.P. Moller Maersk, the world's biggest container
line, agrees.
"International mandates were found to secure the Hormuz
Strait and the Indian Ocean," said Aslak Ross, Maersk's head of
marine standards. "So we ought to be able to find a mandate in
West Africa."