SOUTH African ships are taking drastic steps to protect crews from pirates following an increase in attacks along the African coast.
The country has also been encouraged to raise the issue of piracy in bilateral relations with Nigeria and Somalia, the two African nations most plagued by boatloads of heavily armed pirates.
The safety precautions follow a shock annual report from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) which has reported a 10% increase in piracy incidents worldwide over the past year, with the major hot spots all in African waters.
