International shipping association BIMCO has had its appeal for help denied by the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) after calling for aid in stopping illegal fishing off the coast of Somalia.
BIMCO believe illegal fishing increases the risk of piracy for commercial shipping, according to IHS Maritime 360.
Maritime piracy is currently going through a boom period, with two containerships recently attacked in August, 2015 along the straits of Singapore and Malacca, and Singapore-based anti-piracy organisation ReCAAP noting an 18% increase in maritime piracy incidents from January-August, 2015, in comparison to 2014.
Giles Noakes, Chief Maritime Security Officer at BIMCO, said: “For me personally, from a BIMCO perspective, I see it [illegal fishing] as a problem area because it is a potential catalyst for re-aggravating the local community.
“How we deal with it, though, is not within the Atlanta agreement, so it is a very difficult situation. However, it might be within the remit of other organisations and we are going to look to how we can discuss that further. It is a very difficult area.”
