2020 has so far been an extraordinary year. Few could have predicted the corona virus pandemic and the global havoc it has caused. As the world now braces itself for a substantial global recession many of us are fearful of what the future may hold. An economic slump presents unique and difficult challenges for many sectors particularly those within the maritime domain. Equally an economic slump can also present opportunities for crime and racketeering raising concerns that we may be about to witness an unwelcome resurgence in maritime piracy.

Over the past decade great strides have been taken to improve the safety and security of seafarers operating on the seas with many painful lessons learnt along the way.

Ships running the perilous gauntlet through the Gulf of Aden exposing themselves to the likelihood of being attacked by Somali pirates with crew being kidnapped and held for ransom was once a regular occurrence. Thankfully those days are now in the past as the number of attacks in the region has become almost non-existent.

The deployment of warships and the widespread use of armed guards have been instrumental in reducing the number of pirate attacks. With the number of reported piratical incidents dwindling with each passing year it would be easy to assume that the battle is being won. However, recent statistics tell a different story.

Within the past decade a significant international effort has helped to contain piracy in the waters surrounding Somalia. However, the problem has remained consistent in other regions notably Southeast Asia and the Gulf of Guinea. Nevertheless, there has been an overall steady decline in these regions and the attack statistics have always remained relatively low compared with those previously attributed to Somali piracy.

2019 saw the lowest number of recorded global pirate attacks for 25 years. Although the battle against piracy is far from over, the maritime community have been positively encouraged by this worthy milestone. Conversely, 2020 has witnessed a 24% increase in worldwide pirate attacks and attempted attacks compared with the same period last year. With these statistics in mind, the question must be asked as to whether there is a direct correlation with the increase of piracy attacks and the corona virus pandemic.

The corona virus pandemic has been unprecedented. It has caught even the most resolute governments off-guard and has sent major shockwaves around the world.  These unparalleled times have reverberated at almost every level causing widespread confusion and uncertainty. Governments have been forced to divert their attention from routine internal matters and commit significant financial resources in an attempt to control the pandemic whilst minimising the number of deaths of its citizens whilst reconciling monitoring the financial losses to their national economies. This uncertainty remains and it is still unclear how long it will continue.

The dramatic weakening of the global economy caused by the pandemic means that many of the poorer governments have become hindered in their fight against maritime piracy. The pandemic presents many immediate and worrying economic challenges to those countries whose financial resources are already limited. The need to address the increasing number of deaths has forced many regional governments to shift their focus away from piracy towards more pressing issues on land. With many countries already struggling to police their territorial waters, this situation presents the pirates with a unique opportunity.

Simultaneously, the knock-on effect of the global economic downturn will undoubtedly hit the maritime industry particularly hard. The impending global recession and the significant slump in international trade will clearly result in less revenue for maritime stakeholders. A loss in revenue will then lead to less money being available for security which in turn goes in the favour of the pirates.

It may come as no surprise that crime increases during periods of economic recession. Academic research indicates that recession and the associated financial hardship often leads to desperation where more people turn to crime to make ends meet.  It is often under these conditions where piracy has previously flourished. An undesirable mix of widespread economic hardship, easy access to firearms, cutbacks to shipboard security and financially insecure governments now presents an ideal opportunity for piracy to return and prosper.

For those countries already struggling to control maritime crime within their territorial waters, the arrival of corona virus is an unwelcome arrival on to their already burdensome economies. With governments forced to divert their immediate attention to dealing with the virus coupled with the inevitable negative financial impact, it is highly probable that many will exploit this weakness. For some communities already living in poverty, a return to piracy could be their only means of survival.

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