The statistics are in and
Pirates Attacks have Increased for the first time since 2003
According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) These increases are seen mostly around Africa where pirates have gained a significant foothold in recent years
Also, not exactly pirate news, but worth reporting, The United States' Pirate Party (related to Internet freedoms) has thrown its support behind Barack Obama.
Two crew men were injured on Wednesday when gunmen attacked four supply ships near Bonny Island, Nigeria, an export point for about 400 000 barrels of oil per day. A ship watchkeeper was tied up and severely beaten when pirates boarded a chemical tanker at anchorage near Lagos. The ship lost valuable equipment. Four armed robbers in a small rubber boat attempted to board a bulk carrier at anchor in Lagos harbour using a grappling hook. The alarm was raised but the robbers escaped. Seven pirates armed with knives used a wooden boat to board a large container ship while it was anchoring at Haiphong, Vietnam. They attacked three sailors and stole ship stores. There were 263 reported attacks on ships in 2007 compared with 239 attacks in 2006. In total 64 sailors were assaulted and injured and 292 held hostage, compared with just 17 injuries and 188 hostages in 2006.
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