Manifestation of maritime piracy as an additional challenge for global conservation

- Spatial patterns of hostile acts against ships and mariners are explored.
- Hotspots of anti-shipping acts overlap with marine biodiversity hotspots.
- Hostile acts occur in countries with weaker economies.
- Maritime security issues could influence conservation efficiency.

Hostile acts against ships and mariners remain a global social and political phenomenon which usually reflects a high degree of socioeconomic vulnerability. The identification of the causes and driving factors behind the deteriorating maritime security has received considerable attention. However, their potential impact upon biodiversity conservation initiatives remains poorly evaluated. In the present study the spatial overlap between biodiversity hotspots and hotspots of hostile maritime acts are explored. The majority of such hostile acts occur in economically vulnerable countries, with the operation of their Marine Protected Areas largely depending on the revenue generated by visitors. Given that hostile maritime acts could cause financial losses and increase social and political instability, they could significantly alter conservation efficiency. Thus, it is critical to consider the way of incorporating maritime security risks into conservation agendas.