MARITIME PIRACY: THREATS AND CHALLENGES FOR SHIPPING
Authors: Dobrovolska Viktoriia 
Published: December 2024

The article highlights piracy as a global problem for shipping in the modern period. The study of the problem of maritime piracy is important for developing security strategies and ensuring the stability of global maritime transport. The novelty of the study is the disclosure of data on dangerous areas of the world where there are pirate attacks. This will allow sailors to adjust the routes of ships. Attention is paid to the analysis of socio-economic, political causes of attacks on ships. The article reveals the geographical location of the most dangerous sea routes (West Africa (Gulf of Guinea), East Africa (Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, etc.), Southeast Asia (Singapore Strait, etc.). Getting up-to-date information about the danger will help ships optimally adjust their routes. Piracy is a historical phenomenon, this term first appears in the period of antiquity. But the international - this term received in the second half of the twentieth century. its essence is defined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982. Piracy is any unlawful act of violence, detention or robbery committed for personal purposes by a crew or passengers of a private naval or aircraft. Piracy attracted worldwide attention in the late 2000s after a sharp increase in attacks off the coast of Somalia. The weakness of the central government and the lack of control over the territory are often considered as the main reasons for the revival of maritime piracy. Data on the activity of pirates on the sea routes of the world is provided by the International Maritime Bureau. According to its information, unlawful acts of violence or robbery on the high seas do not stop. The article considers the number of pirate attacks over the past 5 years. Considered geographical areas of piracy in 2022 and 2024 for comparison purposes. Attention is paid to three dangerous areas of piracy: West Africa, East Africa, Southeast Asia. During 2021 - 2024 stable cases of pirate attacks were recorded in West Africa (Gulf of Guinea), East Africa (Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Somalia, Arabian Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, etc.) and Southeast Asia (Malacca Strait, Singapore Strait, etc.). Now the most dangerous and saturated with pirates area of the world is the Gulf of Guinea. There is a negative impact of attacks on trade flows, the cost of transporting goods, the existing environmental costs of pollution. The theme of piracy in Southeast Asia is not as popular as the theme of piracy in the west and east of Africa. Southeast Asian coastal states value their sovereignty more than issues of cooperation. Geographical, socio-economic, political factors that cause the actions of pirates on the main sea routes of the world are revealed. These are recommendations that can help reduce the pirate threat and strengthen global security at sea. Maritime piracy is a complex phenomenon that requires a concerted international response. To eliminate this phenomenon, it is necessary to use radical methods of struggle. It is necessary to involve naval forces to eliminate criminals, to create a mechanism of international cooperation in order to increase security on sea routes.
Key words: piracy, sea routes, shipping, West Africa, East Africa, Southeast Asia.