Review of the MICA Center's activities in 2021 on global maritime security threats
/On Friday 7 January 2022, the Maritime Information Cooperation & Awareness Center (MICA Center) releases its annual assessment of the threats affecting maritime security worldwide. Based on the contributions of a vast network of partners, each of them being experts in their areas of responsibility, this report provides an unprecedented analysis of the threats, documented with detailed statistics.
A significant drop in the number of maritime piracy…
2021 saw a significant drop in the number of maritime piracy and robbery events, with a total of 317 events worldwide, compared to 375 in 2020, a drop of 15%.
This decrease is particularly significant in the Gulf of Guinea, with an exceptionally low number of incidents recorded in 2021, compared to the 115 events recorded in 2020. This sharp drop is seen as the result of a growing awareness among international and regional actors, who are now taking tangible action against maritime insecurity in the area, and working out an appropriate legal framework.
…but increasing number of other insecurity factors
However, from the Americas to South-East Asia, including the Indian Ocean, all maritime areas are facing an increasing number of other insecurity factors. For the first time in its annual report, thanks to the help of its French and foreign partners, the MICA Center assesses all the threats affecting each of these areas: illegal fishing, smuggling, human trafficking, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, interstate conflicts and terrorist attacks.
The complete 2021 annual review and a comprehensive presentation of the MICA Center are available on the website www.mica-center.org
Based in Brest and placed under the direct authority of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the French Navy, the MICA Center is the French expertise centre, with worldwide coverage, dedicated to maritime security. Founded in 2016 to address the strategic challenges resulting from threats to the security of maritime areas, the MICA Center employs a staff of about 30 from the French Navy and from navies of partner countries. It monitors global maritime traffic 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Dedicated to the analysis and assessment of the maritime security situation, and centralising alerts in the event of an attack at sea, the MICA Center collects and forwards relevant information to the partners who subscribe to its free services.
