TRIESTE – Forty-four seafarers remain in the hands of Somali pirates, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is calling for urgent intervention from the international community to ensure their safe release.
The appeal was issued by IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez at the opening of the organization’s 137th Council session, held in London from July 6 to 10, in light of the deteriorating maritime security situation in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and waters off the coast of Somalia.
The 44 seafarers are being held aboard three merchant vessels seized in separate incidents between April and May: the oil tanker MT Honour 25 and the ships Eureka and Sward. According to the IMO, the crews are facing an increasingly critical humanitarian situation, with food and water supplies rapidly depleting and under the constant threat of violence from their captors.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed the IMO’s commitment to working alongside flag states, coastal states, regional organizations, and the shipping industry to secure the release of the crews and bring an end to their captivity.
The IMO has also issued a renewed call to shipowners and operators to implement all available preventive measures to protect their crews, strictly applying Best Management Practices (BMP) for maritime security and conducting thorough risk assessments before transiting high-risk areas.
The alarm comes as indicators show a clear resurgence of piracy in the region. Over the past three months, the IMO has recorded 24 incidents, including successful attacks and boarding attempts, in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, characterized by the use of increasingly sophisticated weaponry and growing violence against civilian crews.
The global outlook also shows a deterioration. Acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea increased by 17% between 2024 and 2025, rising from 146 to 171 incidents recorded worldwide.
This resurgence of piracy occurs against a backdrop already severely strained by geopolitical tensions affecting major routes in the Middle East. In recent months, the IMO has also coordinated the evacuation of approximately 2,500 seafarers who were stranded in the Persian Gulf due to instability in the Strait of Hormuz, an operation subsequently suspended following an attack on a container ship in the Gulf of Oman.
To strengthen efforts to combat piracy, the IMO continues to support the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the related Jeddah Amendment—an initiative involving 22 coastal and island states in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, aimed at fostering cooperation in maritime patrol, information sharing, and the strengthening of maritime security capabilities. In parallel, the Red Sea Project continues, dedicated to developing the operational capabilities of states in the region to prevent and respond to attacks against commercial shipping.
