IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has issued an urgent appeal for international intervention to secure the immediate and safe release of 44 seafarers currently held captive by pirates and armed robbers in Somali waters.
The seafarers have endured months in captivity amid a worrying surge in maritime attacks across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The 44 crew members are being held aboard three hijacked vessels: the MT Honour 25, the Eureka, and the Sward. The ships were seized in separate incidents between April and May off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.
Addressing the IMO Council during its meeting in London this week (6-10 July), Secretary-General Dominguez sounded the alarm on the deteriorating conditions aboard the vessels. The crews are reportedly running critically low on food and water while living under the constant threat of violence.
“These incidents are a stark reminder that the threat posed by piracy and armed robbery to seafarers has not receded and continues to warrant vigilance and support for coordinated action,” Dominguez stated. “I ask for your support in securing their safe release.”
The crisis underscores a worsening trend in global maritime security. Over the past three months alone, the IMO has recorded 24 attempted and actual incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the region, characterized by increasingly dangerous weapons and escalating violence against innocent crews.
This regional spike mirrors a broader global trend:
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17% Increase Globally: Reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea rose from 146 in 2024 to 171 in 2025.
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Escalating Violence: Attackers are utilizing more sophisticated weaponry, putting civilian seafarers at unprecedented risk.
Secretary-General Dominguez reaffirmed the IMO’s commitment to collaborating with flag States, coastal States, regional bodies, and industry stakeholders to end the seafarers’ ordeal.
The IMO continues to monitor the situation and bolster regional defenses through the Djibouti Code of Conduct (and its Jeddah Amendment)—a cooperative framework of 22 coastal and island States in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden—alongside capacity-building programs like the Red Sea Project.
Advice to Shipowners and Operators: The IMO strongly urges all shipowners and operators to take immediate, proactive precautions to protect their crews when transiting high-risk areas, including:
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Conducting rigorous, comprehensive risk assessments prior to transit.
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Strictly implementing the Best Management Practices for Maritime Security (BMP).
