Security briefing · for officers, masters and shore teams

Piracy map, October 2026

By the NaviBoss team · Updated 8 Oct 2026 · Zones checked against their sources on 8 Oct 2026

As of 8 Oct 2026 there are 4 ITF/IBF warlike areas and 4 JWC listed areas at sea, and the piracy hotspots in the ICC-IMB and ReCAAP reports are the Gulf of Guinea and the Singapore & Malacca Straits. The old Indian Ocean High Risk Area was withdrawn on 1 January 2023.

Bound for the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden or the Gulf? Read the table before you sign the passage plan. The warlike rows are the ones that touch your pay: on a ship covered by an ITF or IBF agreement, that list is what triggers the bonus and the right to refuse. The JWC rows are the owner's insurance. The reporting areas tell you who to call.

Map of piracy, war-risk and reporting areas at sea, 8 Oct 2026: ITF/IBF warlike areas in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Gulf and Hormuz, off Israel and Lebanon and in the northern Black Sea; JWC listed areas; piracy hotspots in the Gulf of Guinea and the Singapore and Malacca Straits; the UKMTO and MDAT-GoG reporting areas; and the Rotterdam to Singapore route via Suez. — ITF/IBF warlike area

JWC listed area

Piracy hotspot

Reporting area

Transit corridor

Former High Risk Area (withdrawn)

Rotterdam → Singapore via Suez

Open the map full size

The 17 areas, with their dates

Area	Type	Set by	In force since	Incidents, 30 days	Source
Southern Red Sea & Gulf of Aden	ITF/IBF warlike area	ITF and IBF (crew agreements)	19 Mar 2024	—	ITF/IBF warlike list (1 Oct 2026)
Northern Black Sea & Sea of Azov	ITF/IBF warlike area	ITF and IBF (crew agreements)	1 Mar 2022	—	ITF/IBF warlike list (1 Oct 2026)
Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz & Gulf of Oman	ITF/IBF warlike area	ITF and IBF (crew agreements)	6 Mar 2026	—	ITF/IBF warlike list (1 Oct 2026)
Israel & Lebanon (extended risk zone)	ITF/IBF warlike area	ITF and IBF (crew agreements)	13 Mar 2026	—	ITF/IBF warlike list (1 Oct 2026)
Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea & southern Red Sea	JWC listed area	Lloyd's Joint War Committee (insurers)	29 Jul 2026	—	JWC JWLA-035
Black Sea & Sea of Azov	JWC listed area	Lloyd's Joint War Committee (insurers)	16 Sep 2026	—	JWC JWLA-035
Gulf of Guinea	JWC listed area	Lloyd's Joint War Committee (insurers)	3 Mar 2026	—	JWC JWLA-035
Cabo Delgado, Mozambique	JWC listed area	Lloyd's Joint War Committee (insurers)	3 Mar 2026	—	JWC JWLA-035
Gulf of Guinea	Piracy hotspot	Drawn by NaviBoss from ICC-IMB and ReCAAP reports	Ongoing (from reports)	—	ICC-IMB reports (approximate)
Singapore & Malacca Straits	Piracy hotspot	Drawn by NaviBoss from ICC-IMB and ReCAAP reports	Ongoing (from reports)	—	ReCAAP / ICC-IMB reports (approximate)
Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, the Gulf & western Indian Ocean	Voluntary reporting area	UKMTO	23 Oct 2025	—	UKHO Q6099 ed.11
West Africa (Gulf of Guinea and approaches)	Voluntary reporting area	MDAT-GoG	—	—	UKHO Q6114 / MDAT-GoG
IRTC, Gulf of Aden	Transit corridor	UKMTO chart Q6099	23 Oct 2025	—	UKHO Q6099 ed.11
Yemeni Northern Route, Red Sea	Transit corridor	UKMTO chart Q6099	23 Oct 2025	—	UKHO Q6099 ed.11
Yemeni Southern Route, Bab el-Mandeb	Transit corridor	UKMTO chart Q6099	23 Oct 2025	—	UKHO Q6099 ed.11
Yemeni Waiting Area	Transit corridor	UKMTO chart Q6099	23 Oct 2025	—	UKHO Q6099 ed.11
Somali Basin & Gulf of Aden	Former High Risk Area	Shipping industry (BMP5)	1 May 2019 Withdrawn 1 Jan 2023	—	BMP5 High Risk Area (2019; withdrawn 2023)

Incidents: the reports could not be read when this page was built. The ITF/IBF designations follow the list of 1 Oct 2026. That list is reissued every few weeks and each designation carries an end date, so check the current list before you rely on a date. The piracy hotspots are approximate, drawn from where the reports cluster.

What it means on real voyages

Worked out by NaviBoss's own router on real shipping lanes, the same answer the planner gives. Rotterdam → Singapore via Suez is 8,414 nm and passes through 8 of these areas. Going round the Cape clears the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, at a price in miles. No route here is sent through the Arctic.

Voyage	Distance	Miles inside each area
Rotterdam → Singaporevia Suez	8,414 nm	Southern Red Sea & Gulf of Aden ITF/IBF warlike area 775 nm Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea & southern Red Sea JWC listed area 1,910 nm Singapore & Malacca Straits Piracy hotspot 390 nm Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, the Gulf & western Indian Ocean Voluntary reporting area 3,332 nm Yemeni Northern Route, Red Sea Transit corridor 259 nm Yemeni Southern Route, Bab el-Mandeb Transit corridor 62 nm IRTC, Gulf of Aden Transit corridor 34 nm Somali Basin & Gulf of Aden Former High Risk Area 1,191 nm
Rotterdam → Singaporevia the Cape of Good Hope (Suez avoided)	11,905 nm (+3,491 nm)	Singapore & Malacca Straits Piracy hotspot 390 nm West Africa (Gulf of Guinea and approaches) Voluntary reporting area 1,278 nm
Jebel Ali → Singaporeout through Hormuz	3,508 nm	Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz & Gulf of Oman ITF/IBF warlike area 440 nm Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea & southern Red Sea JWC listed area 820 nm Singapore & Malacca Straits Piracy hotspot 385 nm Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, the Gulf & western Indian Ocean Voluntary reporting area 1,861 nm
Cebu → Houstonvia Suez (Panama avoided)	13,151 nm	Southern Red Sea & Gulf of Aden ITF/IBF warlike area 769 nm Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea & southern Red Sea JWC listed area 1,904 nm Singapore & Malacca Straits Piracy hotspot 461 nm Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, the Gulf & western Indian Ocean Voluntary reporting area 3,323 nm Yemeni Northern Route, Red Sea Transit corridor 256 nm Yemeni Southern Route, Bab el-Mandeb Transit corridor 98 nm IRTC, Gulf of Aden Transit corridor 33 nm Somali Basin & Gulf of Aden Former High Risk Area 1,185 nm
Cebu → Houstonvia the Cape (Panama and Suez avoided)	14,323 nm (+1,172 nm)	Crosses none of these areas.

Check your own route against these zones →

Four lists that get mixed up

ITF/IBF warlike areas: Set by the unions and employers who sign the crew agreements. They change what the crew gets: extra pay for the days inside, and in a warlike area the right to refuse to sail. The amounts are in your CBA or contract.
JWC listed areas: Set by the Joint War Committee of the London insurance market. They change the owner's insurance: entering one can need extra war-risk cover. They say nothing about crew pay.
Reporting areas: The UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area (Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, the Gulf and the western Indian Ocean) and the MDAT-GoG area off West Africa. Inside them, ships are asked to register and report their position. Reporting, not risk.
The former High Risk Area: The BMP5 High Risk Area off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden was withdrawn on 1 January 2023. People still search for it, so the map shows it dashed, for reference. It no longer applies.

Questions seafarers ask

Is the Gulf of Aden still a High Risk Area?

No. The shipping industry withdrew the Indian Ocean High Risk Area on 1 January 2023. The Gulf of Aden is now inside the Southern Red Sea & Gulf of Aden ITF/IBF warlike area (in force since 19 Mar 2024) and the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea & southern Red Sea JWC listed area, and inside the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area, where ships are asked to report.

Is the Red Sea safe for shipping right now?

Nobody can promise that, and this page does not try. The southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have been an ITF/IBF warlike area since 19 Mar 2024. The latest incidents there are counted in the "What changed" box at the top of this page. Before a transit, read the latest UKMTO and MSCIO advisories and your company's instructions. The decision stays with the master and the company.

Where are the piracy hotspots now?

In the Gulf of Guinea and the Singapore & Malacca Straits. These areas are drawn by NaviBoss from the ICC-IMB and ReCAAP reports, so they are approximate. ICC-IMB's live piracy map and ReCAAP's reports give each incident.

Where must I report to UKMTO?

Inside the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area, which covers the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf and the western Indian Ocean (the amber dashed area on the map). Ships are asked to register with UKMTO on entering it and to send daily position reports. Off West Africa the same job is done by MDAT-GoG, in its own reporting area.

Is the Strait of Hormuz a warlike area?

Yes. The Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz & Gulf of Oman has been an ITF/IBF warlike area since 6 Mar 2026, on the list of 1 Oct 2026. The ITF/IBF list is reissued every few weeks, and each designation has an end date, so check the current list and your CBA.

How many miles of my route are inside these areas?

It depends on the route. Rotterdam → Singapore via Suez is 8,414 nm, of which 775 nm are inside an ITF/IBF warlike area and 1,910 nm inside a JWC listed area. Going via the Cape of Good Hope is 11,905 nm, 3,491 nm longer, and crosses neither. Plan your own voyage in NaviBoss's Piracy & security tool to get the miles inside each area.

Can I navigate by this map?

No. It is a planning aid, not for navigation. The areas are drawn from the published documents named on this page, and the piracy hotspots are approximate. Always check the official sources, your company's instructions and your contract.

Your own voyage, mile by mile

Enter two ports in NaviBoss and the Piracy & security tool lists every area the route crosses, with the miles inside each and the latest incidents near it. Free with an account.

Check your own route against these zones →

Sources and method

Every area is drawn from the published document named in its row. NaviBoss checks those documents every week and redraws an area when its source changes; the last check was on 8 Oct 2026. The miles come from NaviBoss's router on its lane network, measured inside each area. Incidents come from the public reports of the centres listed below.

About our guides

NaviBoss guides are written and checked by maritime industry experts, masters and deck officers. Each one is built from the same data the planner uses, dated, and rebuilt when that data changes. Spotted something wrong? Tell us on the feedback board.

A planning aid, not for navigation. Before a transit, check the latest UKMTO and MSCIO advisories, the official in-force lists, your company's instructions and your contract.