Danske Rederier says pirate-related incidents off the coast of Somalia are rising again, with 13 recorded in the first seven months of 2026.
DR reports that the Danish shipowners’ association is drawing attention to renewed piracy off Somalia. Figures from the International Maritime Bureau show 13 incidents in the first seven months of 2026. That matches the combined total for 2024 and 2025.
Deputy Director General Jacob K. Clasen stresses that the numbers remain far below the several hundred incidents recorded in 2009 to 2011. Danish ships sail in the area, and the rise must therefore be taken seriously, according to Clasen.
Per Danske Rederier, one factor is that the situation around the Strait of Hormuz is absorbing the attention and resources of naval forces in the region. Clasen also points to Houthi activity across the water and to general living conditions in Somalia. Economic development in the country is not sufficient to make piracy unattractive, he says.
The EU naval mission Operation Atalanta assesses that several active pirate groups operate in the area. It finds they increasingly show the ability to carry out coordinated operations, which extends the reach of hijackings. Pirates typically seize a fishing boat first, then use it to attack larger vessels.
Global figures fall while Somalia stands out
The International Chamber of Commerce reported in July 2026 that the International Maritime Bureau recorded 38 piracy and armed robbery incidents worldwide in the first half of the year. That is the lowest first-half figure since 1992, down from 90 in the same period of 2025. The bureau nonetheless described Somali piracy as resurging, with 10 Somali-attributed incidents accounting for 94 percent of all crew taken hostage.
Security consultancy Castor Vali counted at least 17 piracy-related incidents in Somali waters and the Gulf of Aden since January 2026. Its assessment includes three hijacked commercial vessels and five hijacked dhows. Relaying analysis from the Combined Maritime Forces and Operation Atalanta, it identifies two active Pirate Action Groups, one inshore near Garacad and one launched from motherships in the Somali Basin.
Alerts from Operation Atalanta and the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean document hijackings of merchant vessels and dhows on 21, 25 and 26 April 2026. Atalanta later confirmed the release of a dhow and its crew. The mission has advised merchant vessels to maintain heightened vigilance.
Danske Rederier’s own analysis from May 2026 records eight Somali incidents in 2024 and five in 2025. It notes four hijackings within six weeks, on 23 March, 21 April, 26 April and 2 May 2026.
Clasen says Danish ships have largely implemented protective measures, including razor wire and, in several cases, armed guards. He describes the cost of piracy as limited and not noticeable in consumer prices. The worst case, he says, is seafarers being kidnapped.
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