The increase in piracy will be a greater threat to UK shipping and UK crew members – what is being done about this?
A – In most parts of the world, incidents of piracy and maritime armed robbery are decreasing; however, there has been an increase in attacks off Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea. Clearly any act of piracy causes great concern and that is why we are working with our international partners to tackle the problem directly at sea through Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151), the EU and NATO. Government departments are working closely with the UK shipping industry, International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and wider international community to reduce the risk to merchant vessels transiting around the Horn of Africa.
