This episode of the Lloyd’s List podcast is brought to you by Veson. To find out more visit www.veson.com

FIFTEEN years ago, Somali piracy was one of the biggest stories in mainstream news, not just shipping.

That may be hard to fathom today, with threats stretching from the Middle East Gulf and Red Sea to the Black Sea, which has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for seafarers in recent weeks.

Yet between 2010 and 2012, Somali pirates hijacked almost 100 vessels, according to the International Maritime Bureau. By 2013, that number had fallen to zero and remained there until 2016.

In fact, just two major commercial vessels were hijacked between 2013 and 2023.

What was once the biggest risk to commercial shipping was successfully repelled through international co-operation, but in recent months there is evidence to suggest that Somali piracy is once again on the rise.

Six commercial vessels have been hijacked since the start of 2026, including sanctioned Sibu 1 (IMO: 9204776), which was attacked in late August. Rather chillingly, the crew changed its location on its automatic identification system to “pirates onboard help”.

The increase in attacks is concerning, but suspicious approaches and occasional hijackings have occurred periodically over the past few years. Many were viewed as isolated incidents, often attributed to a single pirate group acquiring a mothership and exploiting an opportunity.

Is this a proper resurgence? Is Somali piracy really back?

Joining Joshua on the podcast this week are:

• Vice-admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano, Eunavfor Operation Atalanta

• Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer, BIMCO