News of Sina Finance  According to the evening news of February 8 Beijing time, a report released by the US “One Earth Future Foundation” today shows that as the ransom rose by 25% on average, Somalia pirates caused a loss of USD 6.9 billion to global shipping industry and governments of various countries last year.

The report shows that the extra fuel cost spent on speeding up to avoid pirate attack was USD 2.7 billion, as no ship has been hijacked when it travels at 18 knots (one knot =1 nautical mile/hour) or a higher speed. The cost used by governments on military protection including warship patrol was USD 1.27 billion. The extra investment of shipping companies in military force and safety equipments was USD 1.16 billion.

According to the data of the International Maritime Bureau, in the past five years, the pirate attack incidents taking place in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and Somalia coast increased by five times, reaching record-making 236 incidents. It is estimated that 42.45 thousand ships pass this region with frequent incidence of pirate attacks each year, and about 20% of the international trade commodities pass the Gulf of Aden.

The author of the report, Anna Bowden, said, “The manpower loss caused by pirate attacks cannot be measured by economic indexes. We have not considered the casualties and kidnap incidents caused by pirate attacks in 2011.”

The pirate attacks along the Somalia coast last year caused kidnap of 1,118 seamen, of which 24 died. In total 31 ransoms were paid, and the amount for each ransom increased by 25% on average to USD 5 million.