Clarksons Research had noted an increase in tonnage arriving in the Gulf of Aden in the week before the Houthis claimed to have sunk a bulker in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait on Monday.

Arrivals in the seven days to 18 February were down 67% from the first half of December.

But managing director Steve Gordon said there had been “a marginal increase” compared to the previous week when arrivals were down 71%.