Somali piracy remains a major threat even though the international attention has shifted away from the problem, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) secretary Peter Hinchliffe said Monday.

His comments come as the global trade group praised the recent extension of European Union Naval Force (EU Navfor)'s Operation Atalanta until the end of 2018.

The extension will see European naval forces continue to protect shipping from piracy attacks off the African nation.