MORE than 120 pirates are operating off Somalia in a coordinated resurgence that has seen at least six commercial vessels hijacked since April, according to the commander of the EU Naval Force’s counter-piracy mission.
Somali piracy has re-emerged as a significant threat to shipping in recent months, with over 90 seafarers believed to have been taken captive during a spate of attacks.
The uptick marks a significant shift from recent years. International Maritime Bureau data shows five reported incidents in Somali waters in 2025 and eight in 2024, compared with only two across the three-year period from 2021 to 2023.
Previous spikes in activity have typically been attributed to isolated groups. But Vice-admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano, commander of Eunavfor’s Operation Atalanta, said the current surge appears far more organised.
More than 120 pirates are believed to be operating in the region, involving at least two or three clans, he told Lloyd’s List.
“The threat level was previously more moderate, more controlled, but with recent events, we can say it is a surge,” he said.
Serrano believes the number of hijackings within a short period points to coordination between pirate groups.
“There is definitely more than one group at work, with a minimum of two or three clans involved,” he said.
In one case, a vessel travelled from southern Yemen to northern Somalia while apparently changing its pirate crew en route, suggesting collaboration between groups operating in different areas.
“We have vessels anchored close to one another and, obviously, there is coordination among them,” he said.
Solid naval force
A combination of armed guards, industry best management practices and improved conditions ashore helped suppress Somali piracy after its peak in the early 2010s. International naval deployments were also a critical factor.
The IMB’s 2025 piracy report said the absence of a broader resurgence in Somali piracy continued to reflect “the strong deterrent effect of sustained naval presence”.
At the height of the piracy crisis in 2011, the World Bank estimated that 32 naval vessels and four aircraft were operating off the Horn of Africa.
Today, Atalanta’s assets include two frigates, two drone- and helicopter-equipped vessels, a maritime patrol aircraft and a special forces team.
“It’s a solid force,” Serrano said, noting that deployments are adjusted according to seasonal weather conditions.
He acknowledged that the resources currently available could appear modest given the scale of the threat, but said support from the Indian Navy, Combined Maritime Forces, the Kenyan Navy and the Seychelles helps bolster regional counter-piracy efforts.
However, he warned that additional resources may be required if attacks continue at their current pace.
“When the threat goes up, the assets need to adjust,” he said.
Unlike the piracy peak of 2010-13, Atalanta is now competing for personnel and vessels with other EU naval operations.
Operation Aspides, which protects shipping in the Red Sea, and Operation Irini, which has recently inspected multiple vessels linked to sanctions enforcement efforts, draw from the same pool of Eunavfor resources. Serrano argued, however, that Atalanta remains a relatively low- to medium-intensity mission and therefore does not compete directly for the most advanced military capabilities.
While naval presence remains a powerful deterrent, he cautioned that deterrence alone may no longer be sufficient.
“When pirates decide to go to sea en masse, deterrence is not enough.”
