Piracy at sea fell last year. - Acts of piracy at sea fell in 2013, according to the most recent report by the International Maritime Bureau. In total, 264 acts of piracy were reported last year, confirming the decline observed over the past few years, with 297 acts detected in 2012 (-11%) and 439 in 2011 (-41%). In 2012, piracy committed by Somali nationals reached its highest, with 237 acts committed off the Somali coast, as well as in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. In 2013, only 15 acts were attributed to Somali pirates. The presence of national navies and greater vigilance by ship owners has helped to reduce the number of attacks in the region. On the other hand, acts of piracy have increased on the other side of Africa, off the Nigerian coast (31 acts in 2013 as opposed to 27 in 2012 and 10 in 2011) and above all, in Asia. 106 acts were reported off the Indonesian coast by the International Maritime Bureau, as opposed to 81 in 2012 and 46 in 2011. The report emphasises, however, that “the majority of attacks of ships at anchor and in Indonesian waters are at a low level and done so opportunistically. They cannot be compared with the more serious acts of piracy in Africa”. In 2013, a total of 12 boats were hijacked in the world, 212 were boarded, 22 were shot at and 28 others were the subjects of the failed attack attempts. (IL/transl.fl)