Honestly, if you thought the age of high-seas robbery was something left in the history books or restricted to a 2013 Tom Hanks movie, the reality on the water today is a bit of a wake-up call. Piracy isn’t just alive; it’s shifting. As of January 18, 2026, the maritime world is staring down a bizarre "triple threat" of resurgent Somali raiders, West African kidnappers, and high-tech rebels in the Red Sea.
It's a lot.
Just a few days ago, specifically on January 11, 2026, a Gabon-flagged fishing vessel called the IB FISH 7 (also known as the Liang Peng Yu 828) was swarmed by pirates. It wasn't in the middle of the ocean either. They were only about seven nautical miles off the coast of Equata, Gabon. Three armed men hopped on board, caused chaos, and vanished into the humidity with nine crew members. Five Chinese nationals and four Indonesians are currently missing.
The Gulf of Guinea is Basically a Kidnapping Hub Now
The situation in West Africa—the Gulf of Guinea—is different from what you see in the movies. These guys aren't looking to steal the ship or the cargo. It’s too much work. Instead, they go for the "soft" target: the humans.
Gabon's Navy Chief of Staff, Vice Adm. Charles Hubert Bekale Meyong, had to go on state television to explain how this happened so close to shore. It’s embarrassing for local authorities, but it shows how bold these groups have become. They operate with speed and precision, usually in small groups. In the IB FISH 7 case, they left six other sailors on the boat, essentially leaving them to drift while they hauled the "high-value" hostages back to hidden camps in the delta.
Why Gabon? Well, it’s a strategic spot for oil, gas, and tuna. But the security is patchy. While the Gabonese Navy managed to escort the abandoned ship back to Libreville, the families of those nine kidnapped men are now stuck in that agonizing "wait for the ransom call" phase.
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Why Somali Pirates are Making a Comeback (Seriously)
For about a decade, Somali piracy was basically dead. We all thought the combined might of international navies had finished them off. But 2025 changed that, and 2026 is looking even worse.
There’s a specific reason for this: The Red Sea Diversion.
Because the world has been so focused on Houthi rebels shooting missiles at tankers near Yemen, a lot of the warships that used to patrol the Somali Basin have moved north. The pirates noticed. They aren't stupid. They saw a gap in the fence and walked right through it.
According to recent reports from EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta, Somali groups are back to using "motherships." Basically, they hijack a small fishing dhow, use it as a floating base, and then launch tiny, fast skiffs hundreds of miles out into the Indian Ocean. In late 2025, they even hit a vessel called the Hellas Aphrodite.
There’s also a weird political layer here. A lot of these "pirates" are now calling themselves "coast guards" again. They claim they are protecting Somali waters from illegal foreign fishing. Whether you believe them or not, it gives them a weird kind of local "Robin Hood" status that makes it way harder for the federal government in Mogadishu to shut them down.
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The Red Sea: Is it Finally Safe?
If you're looking for a bit of good news in pirates news for today, it’s the Red Sea. Sorta.
Maersk, the Danish shipping giant, just announced they’re starting to move ships back through the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb strait. This is a massive deal. For over a year, most big ships have been taking the long way around Africa—adding two weeks and millions of dollars in fuel to every trip.
The UN Security Council just passed Resolution 2812 a few days ago. It basically keeps a microscope on Houthi activity until July 2026. While the Houthis haven't launched a major successful strike since the Gaza ceasefire talks gained traction, the threat level is still "Red."
Dominick Donald, a senior advisor at Herminius, recently warned that the Houthis now have the technical "know-how" to sink ships whenever they feel like it. They have the drones; they have the missiles. Right now, they’re just choosing not to use them as much. It’s a fragile peace.
What This Actually Means for You
You might think, "I'm not a sailor, why do I care?"
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Basically, everything you buy—from the phone in your hand to the gas in your car—depends on these guys not getting robbed.
- Shipping Costs: When pirates attack, insurance premiums for ships skyrocket. That cost gets passed directly to you at the grocery store.
- Supply Chain Lag: If a ship has to wait for a naval escort or take the long route around the Cape of Good Hope, your "two-day shipping" becomes "two-week shipping."
- Oil Prices: The Gulf of Guinea and the Red Sea are the jugular veins of the world's energy supply. One big "successful" hijack can spike global oil prices overnight.
Actionable Steps for the Maritime Industry
If you're actually working in shipping or just curious about how the pros handle this, here is the current "best practice" for 2026:
- Stick to BMP5: This is the industry "bible" for Best Management Practices. It involves everything from putting up razor wire to installing "citadels" (safe rooms) where the crew can hide.
- Don't Turn Off AIS: There's a temptation to "go dark" to hide from pirates, but in 2026, that just makes you a target for friendly fire or collisions.
- Private Security is Non-Negotiable: In the Somali Basin, having three or four guys with rifles on the deck is still the single best way to make a pirate skiff turn around and look for an easier target.
- Daily Briefings: If you are operating near Gabon or the Singapore Strait (which saw a huge spike in "low-level" robberies lately), the crew needs to be on high alert during the 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. window. That's when almost all boardings happen.
Piracy in 2026 isn't about eyepatches and parrots. It's about geopolitics, insurance premiums, and the terrifying reality of being a sailor in a world that’s increasingly distracted by land wars. Stay safe out there.
Next Steps for You:
Check the IMB Live Piracy Map if you have cargo at sea. It's updated in real-time and shows exactly where the latest "suspicious craft" sightings are happening. You should also verify if your carrier has joined the Maersk initiative to return to the Red Sea or if they are still taking the long route, as this will drastically change your delivery timelines for the first quarter of the year.