By Eamonn Ryan
As if cold chain operators didn’t already have enough to worry about with preserving temperature integrity and delivery timelines, the spectre of maritime piracy is once again casting a shadow over global trade routes.
Cold chain logistics faces unrelenting challenges – from keeping vaccines and perishables within strict temperature bands to navigating port delays and energy price hikes. Now, another age-old menace is re-emerging from the depths: piracy at sea.
According to the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre, incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery rose noticeably in the first nine months of 2025 – the highest nine-month tally since 2021. Between January and September, 116 incidents were reported globally, up sharply from 79 in the same period last year. The Singapore Straits, one of the world’s busiest trade arteries and a vital corridor for cold chain shipments across Asia, recorded its highest number of incidents since 1991.
For cold chain shippers, who already walk a fine line between maintaining product integrity and meeting delivery schedules, this resurgence poses an unwelcome threat. A hijacked or delayed reefer container doesn’t just mean lost cargo – it can mean spoiled pharmaceuticals, ruined produce, and broken trust in supply reliability.
The IMB report found that 91% of incidents involved successful boarding, with most occurring at night. Violence remains a serious concern: weapons were sighted in more than half of all reported cases, and guns were present in one-third – the highest level since 2017. In total, 43 crew members were taken hostage, 16 kidnapped and several assaulted or injured.
While the Gulf of Guinea has seen some containment efforts, incidents there still claimed 14 kidnapped crew members between January and September. Even a single attack, such as the late-August boarding of a product tanker off Ghana, serves as a stark reminder that the threat is very real.
For refrigerated transporters, whose vessels are often smaller and more vulnerable, the risks are amplified. “There can be no room for complacency,” warns IMB director Michael Howlett. “Globally, vessel owners and operators are encouraged to follow industry guidelines and report incidents promptly.”
Meanwhile, the arrest of two pirate gangs in Indonesia in July has helped curb the surge in the Singapore Straits, but the IMB stresses that vigilance is essential. No major attacks were recorded off Somalia or the Gulf of Aden in the third quarter – thanks in part to monsoon conditions – yet the Bureau warns that piracy networks there remain active and opportunistic.
For the cold chain, where timing and temperature are everything, maritime security is becoming another crucial variable in the risk equation. The old pirate’s cry of “Aye, he still sails!” rings truer than ever – a reminder that even in a world of satellites and smart containers, danger still lurks beyond the horizon.
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