Incidents of maritime piracy reached an all-time high since the start of the European Union's anti-piracy naval mission more than three years ago, according to the annual report by the EU on Operation Atalanta. There were 176 pirate incidents during 2011, up from 174 in 2010 and 163 in 2009. The total number of pirated ships dropped to 25 from 47 the previous year. But even those figures may be low, according to Ecoterra International, an independent organization that tracks Somali-area piracy. That group, which has frequently criticized Operation Atalanta for not doing enough to protect ships and for under-reporting the true number of pirate attacks, says the EU tends to only count high-value ships insured by British companies. Ecoterra notes that as of January 2011, Somali pirates are holding 26 large ships in addition to 18 smaller ones, as well keeping more than 418 people hostage. The EU launched Operation Atalanta in December 2008 to protect ships from piracy off Somalia and in the Indian Ocean; it recently extended its mission through December 2012. The €8 million ($10.4 million) per-year budget for the anti-piracy operation is financed by EU member states.
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