Sea piracy rates down, but ‘dark vessels’ still a threat, says PCG

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has warned against the emerging threat of “dark vessels” that mislead coastal surveillance systems, even as global maritime piracy rates have dropped.

PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan on Tuesday raised alarms over ships that fake their Automatic Identification System (AIS), which broadcasts a vessel’s identity and exact position at sea, to bypass detection.

Dark vessels, also known as “shadow fleet,” have been linked to piracy and maritime disorder, according to American think-tank Atlantic Council.

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This as the Philippines remains dependent on maritime trade, according to Gavan.

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“In the global trade of around $24 trillion, around $970 billion has a direct impact on the Philippine economy. That is what pumps life into our economy,” he said.

Gavan noted that while global piracy and armed robbery rates have plummeted by 62 percent from 2025 to 2026, the practice of piracy has also evolved.

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Meanwhile, an international maritime security group has noted an increase in piracy incidents in the Philippines during the first quarter of 2026, despite the sharp fall in global maritime piracy around the world.

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The country logged four piracy incidents, up from zero during the same period last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) of the International Chamber of Commerce.

Two of these occurred at Manila anchorage, while another two at Bauan anchorage in Batangas Bay. In these incidents, one crew member was taken hostage, the IMB said in its report in April.

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With around 17,000 of the 51,000 ships in Asia operating in Philippine waters, maritime security affects not just large cargo vessels, but also Filipino fishermen relying on sea transport, according to Gavan.

This is why the Philippines is boosting its ties with the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), the PCG commandant said.

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Based in Singapore, ReCAAP is a global maritime coalition of 21 countries that trade information on piracy and armed robbery in real time.

Members of the coalition include Southeast Asian nations, such as the Philippines, as well as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and China.

“The information we get from the 21 members of ReCAAP acts as our guide in planning more proactively and responding better. When I said earlier that the nature of piracy and armed robbery worldwide is evolving and improving, this is why we need data as a basis for improving our response,” Gavan said.

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“It’s important to keep [maritime] security to make sure ordinary Filipinos will also be safe,” he added. —WITH A REPORT FROM ANDRE ESGUERRA, INTERN