Warning! Pirates Active Here: Why Tropical Waters Are Global Piracy Hot-spots? — Exploring the Causes 注意！这里有海盗出没 为啥整个热带都是海盗高发区？一文带你了解背后原因

Warning! Pirates Active Here: Why Tropical Waters Are Global Piracy Hot-spots? — Exploring the Causes

注意！这里有海盗出没 为啥整个热带都是海盗高发区？一文带你了解背后原因

In the context of the booming global shipping industry, piracy remains a significant threat to maritime security. According to a report from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), the number of pirate and armed robbery incidents worldwide soared by as much as 50% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with a total of 90 such incidents recorded. This marks the highest level since 2020 and sets a new five-year record.

在当今全球航运业蓬勃发展的背景下，海盗问题依然是航运安全的重大隐患。据国际海事局（IMB）报告显示，2025年上半年全球海盗及武装抢劫事件数量较2024年同期飙升高达50%，共发生90起相关事件，这是自2020年以来的最高纪录，创下五年新高。

图源IMB

Among these 90 incidents, 79 vessels were boarded, 6 were attempted attacks, 4 vessels were hijacked, and 1 vessel was fired upon. In terms of the types of vessels targeted, bulk carriers were the primary targets, with 34 incidents; oil tankers followed with 23 incidents; container ships had 13 incidents; and the remaining 20 incidents involved other types of vessels.

在这90起事件中，有79艘船只遭登船，6起为未遂袭击，4起船只被劫持，还有1艘船只遭枪击。从受袭船只类型来看，散货船成为主要目标，遭遇34起事件；油轮次之，有23起；集装箱船发生13起；其余20起则涉及其他类型的船只。

图源IMB

It is noteworthy that the majority of these pirate activities are concentrated in tropical regions, such as the Strait of Malacca and the Singapore Strait in Southeast Asia, the Gulf of Guinea and the waters off Somalia in Africa, as well as the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Why do tropical regions become a breeding ground for pirate activities?

In the global trade and shipping network, tropical regions, with their unique geographical and natural conditions, serve as a crucial link between the world's major industrial areas and resource-rich regions. Western Europe and East Asia, the two major global industrial regions, are located at opposite ends of the Eurasian continent, while resource-rich areas such as South America, Africa, and Oceania are mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. The tropical seas, situated in the middle, naturally become the main maritime routes connecting these regions.

而令人关注的是，这些海盗活动的高发区域大多集中在热带地区，如东南亚的马六甲海峡、新加坡海峡，非洲的几内亚湾、索马里海域，以及红海与亚丁湾等。为何热带地区会成为海盗活动的温床？

在全球贸易和航运网络中，热带地区因其独特的地理位置和自然条件，成为连接世界主要工业区与资源富集区的关键纽带。西欧和东亚作为全球两大工业区，分处亚欧大陆两端，而南美、非洲和大洋洲等资源富集区则大多位于南半球。热带海域居于中间位置，自然成为连接这些区域的主要海运路线。

I. Geographic and Natural Environmental Factors

The unique geography and natural environment of tropical regions provide pirates with a natural "sanctuary." Take the Strait of Malacca, for example. Its narrow waterway and extremely high vessel traffic density mean that a large number of ships pass through daily. Ships are densely packed while navigating or at anchor, providing pirates with numerous potential targets and increasing the likelihood of pirate attacks. Moreover, the strait is flanked by many islands along its coast, which serve as natural hideouts for pirates. They can easily evade maritime patrols and capture, quickly concealing their tracks after committing crimes, thereby increasing the difficulty of combating piracy. Similar geographical conditions are also found in the Gulf of Guinea, a crucial oil tanker route between Europe and the Americas. However, its complex coastline and numerous concealed locations offer an ideal environment for pirate activities.

Furthermore, the vast expanse of tropical seas and complex hydrological conditions make it difficult for law enforcement vessels to track and control maritime targets. This objectively creates a large number of "no-go zones" for law enforcement, providing opportunities for pirates and other maritime terrorists to exploit. For example, the South China Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean are vast areas where law enforcement forces struggle to achieve comprehensive coverage. Pirates can take advantage of the complex hydrological conditions in these regions to hide and escape.

一、地理与自然环境因素

热带地区独特的地理与自然环境为海盗活动提供了天然的“庇护所”。以马六甲海峡为例，其航道狭窄且船舶流量极大，每天有大量的船舶过往，船舶在航行或锚泊时较为密集，这为海盗提供了众多可攻击的目标，增加了遭遇海盗袭击的概率。同时，海峡沿岸散布着许多岛屿，这些岛屿为海盗提供了天然的藏身之所，使其能够轻易地躲避海事部门的巡逻和追捕，在作案后迅速隐藏踪迹，增加了打击海盗的难度。类似的地理条件也出现在几内亚湾等地区，该海域横跨非洲西北和南部，对于欧洲和美洲大陆来说，是一条非常重要的油轮运输路线，但其复杂的海岸线和众多的隐蔽地点，为海盗提供了理想的作案环境。

此外，热带地区海域面积广阔，水文条件复杂，执法船舶难以跟踪控制海上目标，客观上存在着大量执法“真空地带”，往往使海盗等海上恐怖分子有机可乘。例如，南海、孟加拉湾、印度洋等广大海域，由于面积过大，执法力量难以全面覆盖，海盗可以利用这些区域的复杂水文条件进行隐蔽和逃窜。

II. Economic and Social Factors

Economic hardship is a significant driving force behind many people's decision to turn to piracy. These tropical regions are characterized by uneven economic development. Coastal areas suffer from weak infrastructure and a lack of legitimate employment opportunities, making some individuals more susceptible to the allure of piracy. Particularly in the Gulf of Guinea, when the Portuguese explorers first named it the "Gold Coast" in the 15th century, they could not have imagined that five hundred years later, this region would continue its legacy of plundering with another kind of "black gold"—oil. The compasses of the colonizers have long rusted, but the GPS devices of pirates now accurately pinpoint the coordinates of this historical cycle of exploitation.

In 1482, the Portuguese built the Elmina Castle on the coast of Ghana, initiating a slave trade chain that lasted for four centuries. According to historian Walter Rodney, as many as six million Africans were trafficked from this location in the 18th century alone. Due to its extremely rich natural resources, the Gulf of Guinea has been a key area for European colonizers to plunder gold, ivory, and transport slaves since the 15th century. Many colonial adventurers achieved overnight fortunes here, earning the region the name "Gold Coast" and making it a focal point for Western powers in Africa. However, precisely because of its abundant resources and intense competition, no colonial power was truly interested in developing the region, resulting in it becoming one of the longest colonized yet most underdeveloped areas in Africa.

When the Dutch West India Company captured the Elmina Castle in 1637, the 200 "coast guards" they employed were actually pirates who had been recruited. This model of outsourcing violence is strikingly similar to the current practice of oil companies hiring private armed escort vessels.

二、经济与社会因素

经济困境是驱使许多人走上海盗之路的重要原因。这些热带地区国家的经济发展不平衡，沿海地区基础设施薄弱，缺乏合法的就业机会，这也使得一些人更容易被海盗活动所吸引。尤其是几内亚湾，当15世纪葡萄牙探险家首次将这里命名为“黄金海岸”时，他们不会想到，五百年后这片海域会以另一种黑色黄金——石油——继续书写掠夺者的传奇。殖民者的罗盘早已锈蚀，但海盗的GPS定位仪却精准锁定了历史轮回的坐标。

1482年，葡萄牙人在加纳海岸修筑埃尔米纳城堡，开启持续四个世纪的奴隶贸易链。据历史学家沃尔特·罗德尼统计，仅18世纪就有600万非洲人从此地被贩卖。由于物产资源极度丰富，自15世纪起，几内亚湾就成为欧洲殖民者掠夺黄金、象牙及贩运奴隶的重要基地，因为很多殖民冒险家在这里成就了一夜暴富的神话，几内亚湾得名“黄金海岸”，成为西方列强在非洲大陆争夺的重点。但也正由于物产丰富，争夺激烈，几乎没有列强有心在这里安心经营其殖民基地，这里反而成为了西方殖民最久却最欠发达的地区。

荷兰西印度公司1637年夺取埃尔米纳城堡时，雇佣的200名“海岸警卫队”实为收编的海盗。这种将暴力外包的模式，与今日石油公司雇佣私营武装护卫船的历史惊人相似。

III. Political and Governance Factors

Some tropical regions are plagued by political instability and limited governance capabilities, which fail to effectively combat pirate activities. Somalia is a prime example. The country has long been in a state of civil war and anarchy, with the government unable to maintain maritime security. Pirates have exploited the complex political situation to establish their own strongholds and spheres of influence, even developing relatively complete criminal industry chains.

Moreover, sovereignty disputes and jurisdictional vacuums among some tropical region countries also provide opportunities for pirate activities. For example, in the Strait of Malacca, there is some overlap of sovereignty involving Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, creating a "no man's land" where pirates can exploit governance loopholes to operate.

三、政治与治理因素

部分热带地区国家政治局势不稳定，政府治理能力有限，无法有效打击海盗活动。以索马里为例，该国长期处于内战和无政府状态，政府组织无力维护海洋安全，导致海盗活动猖獗。海盗利用当地复杂的政治局势，建立起自己的据点和势力范围，甚至形成了相对完整的犯罪产业链。

此外，一些热带地区国家之间的主权争议和管辖空白也为海盗活动提供了可乘之机。例如，在马六甲海峡，由于涉及马来西亚、新加坡和印度尼西亚三国的主权，存在一定的主权重叠和“三不管”地带，海盗可以利用这些区域的治理漏洞进行活动。

Pirates: After Wealth and at the Cost of Lives

The core objective of pirate activities is to plunder wealth. However, in the process, pirates often resort to extreme violence, posing a severe threat to the lives of seafarers. Their brutal actions are truly appalling.

On June 10, 2025, a vessel was boarded by pirates at anchor outside the eastern port limits of Singapore. The pirates ordered the captain to open the safe to search for cash. After finding no money in the safe, they kidnapped the captain to the stern of the ship and threatened to throw him into the sea. Such violent behavior is not only aimed at achieving the goal of looting but also serves as an extreme means for pirates to intimidate crew members and ensure their own safety. In order to obtain ransom or loot, pirates do not hesitate to endanger the lives of seafarers. This not only causes significant physical harm to the seafarers but also has a profound impact on their mental health.

The roots of pirate activities are usually related to conflicts, political instability, and the economic conditions of a country. Most pirate behavior patterns are recurrent and can sometimes be traced back decades or even centuries. In order to achieve their goal of plundering wealth, pirates are willing to resort to extreme violence, posing a severe threat to the lives of seafarers.

Geography and natural environment provide pirates with a natural sanctuary. Economic hardships drive some people to take desperate measures, while the high-density navigation of the shipping industry offers pirates a wealth of targets. Seafarer friends should be especially vigilant when transiting through high-risk pirate areas. Since vessels are more vulnerable to attack while at anchor, extra caution is needed when staying at high-risk ports/anchorages. Proper lookout is considered one of the most effective methods to protect vessels, as it helps to detect suspicious approaches or attacks early, allowing for the deployment of defensive measures.

海盗“谋财也害命”

海盗行为的核心目的是掠夺财物，但在此过程中，海盗们常常不惜使用极端暴力手段，对海员的生命安全造成严重威胁，其残忍行径令人发指。

在2025年6月10日的一起海盗袭击事件中，一艘船舶在新加坡东港界外锚地遭到海盗登船，海盗命令船长打开保险柜搜查现金，发现保险柜无现金后，便将船长绑架至船尾，威胁要将其扔入海中。这种暴力行为不仅是为了达到劫掠财物的目的，更是海盗们为了震慑船员、确保自身安全而采取的极端手段。海盗们为了获取赎金或财物，不惜对海员的生命安全造成严重威胁，这种行为不仅对海员的身体健康造成了极大的伤害，更对他们的心理健康产生了深远的影响。

海盗行为的根源通常与冲突、政治不稳定和国家的经济状况有关。大多数海盗行为模式是反复出现的，有时可以追溯到几十年甚至几个世纪前。海盗们为了实现其掠夺财物的目的，不惜采取极端暴力手段，对海员的生命安全造成严重威胁。

地理与自然环境为海盗提供了天然的庇护所，经济困境驱使一些人铤而走险，而航运业自身的高密度航行又为海盗提供了丰富的攻击目标。船员朋友们在过境海盗易发区域时，由于船舶在抛锚时更易受到攻击，在高风险港口/锚地停留时应格外警惕。适当的瞭望被认为是保护船舶最有效的方法之一，有助于及早发现可疑的接近或攻击，以便部署防御措施。