Somali Piracy Activity Hits 10-Year High

The number of piracy-related incidents off Somalia is at its highest level in 10 years. The trend points to renewed activity in the area after several years with relatively few incidents.

Danish Shipping has just published an analysis based on figures from the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB), showing a significant increase in the number of attacks carried out by Somali pirates.

The IMB recorded eight incidents off Somalia in 2024 and five incidents in 2025. In the first seven months of 2026 alone, 13 incidents have already been recorded. Activity remains low compared with the wave of piracy in 2009–2011, when more than 200 attacks were recorded annually, but the trend points to renewed activity in the area.

As recently as this week, there have been reports of another pirate attack on a cargo vessel off the coast of Somalia. This incident has not yet been included in the IMB figures.

“Of course, I am concerned when I see that the number of piracy-related incidents off Somalia is rising. It brings back unpleasant memories. However, it is worth highlighting that vessels which follow the international Best Management Practices recommendations are generally far less vulnerable to pirate attacks. Shipping companies should carry out a thorough risk assessment and, on that basis, implement the appropriate security measures,” says Jacob K. Clasen, Deputy CEO of Danish Shipping.

Security measures may include physical protection measures such as barbed wire, securing access points, water cannons and CCTV surveillance, as well as enhanced procedures for monitoring, reporting and emergency preparedness. In areas with an elevated risk of piracy, armed guards are also often used as an additional layer of protection.

“There is no doubt that the development is being driven by a complex interplay of a wide range of internal and external factors. Within Somalia, challenges such as drought, illegal fishing, economic hardship and weak government structures may be contributing to making piracy a more attractive ‘career path’. Externally, changes in the maritime security situation in the region may also have created more favorable conditions for renewed pirate activity in the area,” says Clasen.

The operational pattern of Somali pirates continues to be characterized by the hijacking of vulnerable vessels, particularly fishing vessels, which can subsequently be used as mother ships to launch attacks further offshore.

The EU naval mission Operation Atalanta assesses that several pirate groups are active and operating in the area where they are increasingly demonstrating the ability to carry out coordinated operations. At the same time, their activities are continuously adapted to weather and monsoon conditions, allowing pirates to exploit opportunities in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin respectively. The development points to an increased operational range and a threat picture that increasingly resembles the situation before 2012.

The IMB’s global incident register also shows that the majority of the world’s piracy and armed robbery incidents continue to occur in Southeast Asia, particularly around Indonesia, the Philippines and the Singapore Strait. While attacks in Southeast Asia often involve theft and robbery against ships at anchor, incidents off Somalia are more likely to involve hijackings and organized attacks against vessels underway. Somalia-related incidents accounted for around 30 per cent of the incidents recorded in the IMB’s global incident register during the period but represented a significantly larger share of the most serious attacks.