Are we winning the war with the pirates

Recent data from the IMB indicate continuing piracy activity despite the army presence in the Somali region and the increased presence of armed guards on board. While the number of successful attacks is on the decline the number of deaths and injuries has not declined and attacks are becoming more violent. Such a change in the character of the attacks could also be attributed to the presence of the armed guards on board and pirates appropriately changing their tactics, using higher levels of violence to achieve their goals. Although piracy can be devastating for ship owners and particularly the crews, it is still a reasonably localised issue not affecting a large group of leisure travellers.