# Are Somalian pirates still an issue?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-somalian-pirates-still-an-issue/668034>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 4, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-somalian-pirates-still-an-issue/668034 "2013-09-04T23:52:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-somalian-pirates-still-an-issue/668034/1 "2013-09-04T23:52:40Z")

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I haven’t heard about any new incidents for a couple of years. Of course, this may mean that any trouble they cause isn’t considered as newsworthy as it once was.

Or have they been largely eliminated?

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**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-somalian-pirates-still-an-issue/668034/2 "2013-09-05T00:00:37Z")

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Somali related incidents 2013: Ten reported incidents including two hijacking.

Current crew / vessels held by Somali pirates: hostages - 57

From: [Home](http://www.icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre/piracynewsafigures)

Having a lot of them busted by the international flotilla and many others forced to dump their weapons overboard and turn around empty handed hasn’t helped their recruiting. I have no proof, but I suspect the Russian ship in hunt didn’t bother reporting a fair number that they intercepted and ‘disposed of’.

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**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-somalian-pirates-still-an-issue/668034/3 "2013-09-05T00:02:11Z")

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USA Today seems to have thought [in Dec 2012](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/12/20/piracy-somalia/1781929/) that attacks were down. It’s cold comfort to the crew of this [vessel which sank](http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/08/uk-somalia-pirate-ship-idUKBRE9670QU20130708) in July of this year, killing 4 of the crew.

The Maritime Security Center for the Horn of Africa’s webpage may be found [here](http://www.mschoa.org/on-shore/home). It is full of information concerning the security threat from piracy in that area. An map of alerts received by NATO ships in the area can be found [here](http://www.shipping.nato.int/Pages/LargeAlertMap365.aspx). Finally, a .pdf report by DHS for the week in piracy for 20-26 June 2013 can be found [here](http://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=739790). Incidents are down greatly from previous years, for reasons noted by **Chimera** , and also covered in the linked piracy reports.