A study of maritime security and piracy

This paper studies the contributing factors of maritime piracy by analyzing previous incidents that have been reported to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Part of the analysis is to filter those ship types that are particularly vulnerable to piracy attacks. The paper also introduces the guidelines developed by the IMO and the industry envisaging to minimize the risk to ships that are exposed to attacks from pirates. It further describes the initiatives taken to develop a sustainable mechanism in the high-risk area (HRA)¹ to suppress piracy and other maritime crimes. This study reflects the fact that maritime security and piracy issues’ importance has been increasingly recognized in the 40 year history of Maritime Policy & Management.