An international maritime watchdog has urged leading insurer Lloyd's to remove the Malacca Strait from a list of dangerous waterways, saying pirate attacks there had sharply declined.

"Based on the figures, there is no justification for them to include Malacca Strait in the list, unless Lloyd's has some other information that we are not aware of," said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre.

Choong said the Malacca Strait was "not a hot spot at the moment" as the three states bordering the strategic waterway - Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore had launched aggressive joint patrols.

A history of piracy and kidnapping of seafarers prompted the three countries to launch joint sea and air patrols aimed at securing one of the world's most important waterways.

The Lloyd's Market Association's Joint War Committee decided in July last year to add the strait to a list of 20 areas worldwide - alongside Iraq, Lebanon and Nigeria - that it deemed security threats to shipping.

The classification by the LMA, a body that advises members of insurer Lloyd's of London, could result in underwriters imposing additional premiums on ships plying the strait.

Choong's comments came after it decided last month to retain the Malacca Strait on its war and terrorism listing.

However, during the first quarter of this year the IMB did not receive any reports of armed robbery or pirate attacks in the Malacca Strait which runs between Indonesia and Malaysia.

In April there were three attacks on fishing boats, Choong said, adding that in one instance, pirates in a speed boat fired at a fishing vessel but that the crew escaped unhurt.

"From our view, the problem areas now are Somalia, Chittagong in Bangladesh and Nigeria," Choong told AFP, adding that there had been 22 attacks on ships at anchor in Chittagong port between January and June this year.

Clear signals

Choong said that continued maritime patrols could influence Lloyd's to remove the strait from the listing.

"We feel their concern may be that the current measures taken by the three littoral states may be just a temporary action. Therefore they may look for clear signals before they remove the strait from the list," he said.

Choong said the littoral states must demonstrate their commitment to fighting piracy, adding that attacks had fallen after Indonesia boosted security patrols last year.

"But it is unclear, how long the patrols will last," he said.

"If these actions taken by littoral states are temporary, pirate attacks will definitely resurface," he warned.

Maritime officials have said that high cost of fuel is one key element restricting Indonesia's ability to conduct frequent maritime patrol along its vast coastline.