Sri Lanka is considering establishing a naval blockade in the Indian Ocean as part of efforts to counter rising piracy threats in the region. The proposal comes amid growing concern over maritime security across the Indian Ocean, where research by Stanford, La Trobe, and Australian National universities has highlighted how vulnerable trade routes are to disruption — even a single successful attack on shipping in the central Indian Ocean could trigger soaring insurance premiums or the withdrawal of commercial vessels from the area entirely. With 99% of Australia's global trade carried by sea and China's naval presence expanding in the region, the security of Indian Ocean shipping lanes is increasingly seen as a critical international concern.