SHIP WRECKED

Ships Affected by Suez Canal Jam Have a New Problem: Pirates

Shipping companies have reportedly called the U.S. Navy for help navigating alternative routes favored by pirates.

A blockage in the Suez Canal has prompted hundreds of ships to reroute, prompting some shipping companies to call the U.S. Navy over piracy fears, the Financial Times reports. More than 200 ships have had to either anchor down or reroute around Africa. Peter Sand, chief shipping analyst at Bimco, says that ships could sail “to a nearby port like Djibouti” to minimize disruption. But East Africa has a history of piracy, and there has been a recent spike of kidnappings at sea and other nautical mishaps. If ships want to hire private security, it would cost $5,000 to $10,000 per vessel, with the distance needed to sail through the gulf of Aden, one maritime security expert said. Data shows that roughly a third of the ships stuck in the jam are bulk carriers, one fourth are container ships, and 15 percent are tankers.