| In 2008 there were 293 reported incidents of maritime | | | | by enough volume that the International Maritime |
| piracy with the Somalia & Gulf of Aden region | | | | Bureau (IMB), founded by the International Chamber of |
| contributing 111 reported incidents and Nigeria coming in | | | | Commerce (ICC), broadcasts daily reports of piracy |
| second with 40 reported incidents. | | | | via satellite to all shipping companies. |
| Keep in mind that these are only reported incidents. In | | | | The international community is beginning to pursue |
| the highly competitive shipping market, many carriers | | | | curbing maritime piracy much more aggressively on |
| prefer to cover the losses out of their own resources | | | | many fronts ranging from ICC/IMB sponsored |
| rather then report the incident and causing a large | | | | seminars to the hiring of Private Military Companies |
| increase in their insurance premiums and risking long | | | | (PMCs) by shipping companies. |
| delays due to government investigation and | | | | Recent notable events in regards to the rising |
| bureaucratic red-tape. | | | | international trade threat is the Blackwater Worldwide |
| The top 3 zones for maritime piracy are: | | | | (PMC) offering of their 830-ton, 183-foot ship the |
| SOUTH-EAST ASIA | | | | "MacArthur" to the Somali government to assist in |
| AFRICA | | | | battling the pirates that are plaguing the east coast of |
| LATIN AMERICA | | | | Africa and also the sending of two warships by China |
| The four common denominators that factor into all 3 | | | | to patrol the same pirate infested waters. |
| zones are: | | | | Both events have been received with high mixed |
| - multitude of islands and chains of archipelagos | | | | emotion by the international community. |
| facilitating numerous hiding spots (minus Africa) | | | | Bottom line is that companies who are finding it hard |
| - widespread government corruption | | | | enough to maintain sustainable long term success in |
| - lack of general population cooperation with | | | | today's strained global economy don't feel that the |
| investigations due to fear of criminal reprisals | | | | possibility of the hijacking of their goods on the high |
| - large and healthy black markets facilitating ease and | | | | seas should be allowed to continue in threatening their |
| speed of stolen cargo sale | | | | security. |
| The primary players affected are the shippers | | | | We can expect to see much more reporting and |
| (manufacturers who were selling the stolen cargo), the | | | | activity on this as hijackings escalate and tensions |
| carriers (the company that owns the stolen sea | | | | increase with the corridors of business and |
| vessel), and the insurers of the shippers and carriers. | | | | government powers. |
| Emboldened acts of maritime piracy have increased | | | | |