Pirates

[|A map of all instances of piracy in 2009]

**__ Piracy as a Transnational Crime __**
 * Proof of Piracy **

Many people think that piracy is something new. Well it's not. In fact it's been around since the time of the Vikings, the first pirates. Since that time, piracy has spread to all parts of the world. Piracy was big in the Caribbean from the 1400s-1700s. The only reason people notice piracy today is because it is causing world-wide problems and because our Navy got involved. "Anachronistic as it may seem, maritime piracy is...booming, largely in the Indian Ocean. Between 2003 and the end of 2008, 1,845 actual or attempted acts of piracy were registered worldwide. The numbers for 2009 showed a continuing increase, with the majority of incidents occurring off the Horn of Africa, where Somalis in small boats have carved out a swashbuckling if ramshackle image, seizing for ransom mighty cargo vessels. Piracy's total burden on the maritime industry has been pegged at anywhere from $ 1 billion to $ 16 billion annually; unprecedented hikes in the cost in the cost of shipping insurance affect consumers everywhere." Recently, the main focus of piracy has been of the Somali coast and the problems the Somali pirates are creating. The Somali pirates are seizing ships off the coast of Somalia and holding the crews until they get what they want, then they kill them. Some shipping firms are finding it cheaper to just pay the ransom instead of trying to stop the pirates from seizing their ships. The main cause for piracy is the bad economic conditions and the collapse of the Somali government. Due to the collapse of the government, war lords have taken over Somalia. War lords make their money through theft and piracy. They get away with it because every time another government tries to pursue them, they run to land where they cannot be touched by other governments. The US proposes that if access into Somalia is allowed, that the war lords might be captured and then the piracy level will decrease. The UN thinks that Somalia's surrounding nations and more generous powers should help to reform the Somali government and build a plan that will help them in the future as a nation.("Addressing") According to the Yemen Post, "the United Nations should also look at how to rebuild the nation of Somalia." ("Addressing") A long-term plan can be created by Somalia's neighboring Arab state and other generous powers coming together to help rebuild the Somali government. ("Addressing") The piracy problem in Somalia can be changed if surrounding countries come together to help the government, but until that happens the current situation is not likely to change.
 * Causes of Piracy **

Piracy has turned into a transnational problem. Politicians and armchair admirals say "Something must be done". (Patch) While maritime piracy captures the attention of the media and news, the threat is overstated. Because of this, many people think that maritime terrorism and piracy are the same while in actuality, they are different. Maritime terrorism wants to scramble the Navy, and threaten or harm a country's government and way of life. (Patch) Piracy, on the other hand, is almost always about money. The pirates are not setting out to hurt or harm people, they just want money and goods to make their life better. Although this is true, there are some people that fear that piracy proceeds in Somalia might finance terrorists such as Al-Shabaab Islamist extremist.(Morrison 38) Due to the lack of government and little or no threat of prosecution or repercussions, piracy is an easy way to obtain money. While the act of piracy takes place in the water, the pirate cells are supported on land. These organized groups are able to plan and carry out their actions because there are no law enforcement agencies to stop them. (Patch) Because the pirate cells are located on land, it is hard to completely stop the pirates because the U.S. government does not have access to go into Somalia and stop the people on land. Another cause of piracy, from the Somali viewpoint, is that they are protecting the waters off the coast of Somalia. In an effort to stop illegal fishing and dumping of nuclear waste, the Somali "pirates" started patrolling their waters.("Root") They started doing this because after the 2005 tsunami, hundreds of dumped and leaking barrels washed up ashore killing 300 people.("Root") They would consider themselves their version of their country's 'Coast Guard'. Eventually, this led to piracy because they would attack any ships that they thought were threatening their waters. The Somalis would justify their piracy but claiming that they were righting a wrong from the vessels that were polluting their waters and taking their fish. One pirate leader Sugule Ali says "We don't consider ourselves sea bandits. We consider sea bandits [to be] those who illegally fish and dump in our seas." ("Root") The Somali pirates do not see themselves as pirates, they see themselves as people trying to protect the wellness of their country and their waters. The "pirates" think they are doing something good for their country and not realizing the affect their actions has on other countries and governments. The main cause of piracy is the bad conditions on land. The life style is so bad in Somalia, that the best option is to become a pirate where you can be away from the problems on the mainland. If Somalia were able to get help from other countries in helping them arrange their government, there would be a different viewpoint on piracy. There is also the cause that the Somali people are just trying to protect their waters from harm and piracy is the way to do that. Also, if people stop dumping waste into their seas, they will not feel the need to have to attack every ship or boat that enters their waters. Both of these solutions will change the viewpoint of piracy and it will also change the live of the people of Somalia for the better and it would be a positive change.

Piracy has a long history so that it should be no surprise that piracy is flourishing off the coast of the lawless Somalia. Today these are a few of the most dangerous waters in the world. Due to the political unrest and ramped warlords that control Somalia, piracy lures many men. Who can blame them? Piracy is a lucrative business right now. The short term effects of piracy are, of course, death, injury, or captured and held for ransom to any seafarers, ship captains, and anyone else on a ship that is boarded by pirates. This article from LA Times shows some of the dangers for seafarers “Young thugs shot the chief officers on board and assembled the rest of the crew on deck” (Sanders). It is a scary thought to think of these dangers and the reality of the problem. “As many as one-fifth of Kenya’s working seafarers have been held hostage by pirates” (Sanders). A long term effect of piracy is increased costs for products shipped through the Gulf of Aden and the Somalia Basin. It is now a common practice for shipping companies to demand higher prices for transport through these seas. This is due to the increased insurance price on cargo ships. Most shipping companies have not stopped shipping through these waters; the CEOs of shipping companies know the risk and yet they take them. The most that many pirates want from these ships is any money on board or possibly a few hostages to be held for ransom. It may seem illogical to you and I but these companies are still making their profit. Staying safe is not as important as staying in the black.
 * Effects of Piracy **

It also has become evident in some cases that piracy “Is disrupting the delivery of humanitarian aid to Somalia” (Counter-piracy operations). The humanitarian efforts by national governments and relief aid charities have been undermined by pirates. “Pirates have been known to search for and seize cargo from the Red Cross and other aid groups for personal or clan use” (Counter-piracy operations). Piracy has caused lasting ripples in our global economy. “This year alone, Somali officials say, pirate profits are on track to reach a record $50 million, all of it tax free.” (Gentlemen) Not only has this caused even more fighting for Somali’s poor population but the loss of $50 million has residual effects that cannot mend. The final, possibly the daunting effect would occur if Somalia pirates were to capture a vessel that has onboard weapons. Like what occurred to a Ukrainian military vessel Somalia pirates captured a Ukrainian military ship containing weapons, tanks, and ammunition on Thursday (September 25, 2008). The weapons seized ranged from grenade launchers to 33 Soviet tanks, the Ukrainian defense ministry told the press. 17 multi-national crewmen were also captured. The "Faina" was making a delivery to the Kenyan government, which is a Western ally against terrorism. (Cawthorne) This sparked a worldwide race to re-capturing this ship for the Ukrainians, Kenyans, and the rest of the people in this world that like his or her safe homes. Piracy runs deep in our veins. People who pirates ships are not out of the norm and, likely, there will not be a time without piracy.

When one thinks of piracy, visions of peg-legs and eye patches come to mind. However, the popular scallywag created by Robert Louis Stevenson is the last kind of pirate needing be feared. Piracy of the east coast of Africa today is at its highest, with hundreds of ships being taken yearly. Thriving on the super highway for shipping, the long-lasting tradition of piracy is nearly impossible to conquer because of international shipping business and the economic conditions of countries surrounding the pirate-infested waters. Shipping today is highly international. According to __The Wilson Quarterly,__ “Typical vessels are registered in one nation, such as Greece, owned by a corporation in another nation such as South Korea, and is operated by a crew hailing from other places such as the Philippines and Pakistan, and it is transporting cargo owned by corporations based in the Untied States and elsewhere. Chances are that the protective vessel that foils the attack will be from yet another country such as Denmark.” (“Catch”) The confusion of how to deal with piracy has ended up with something called the catch and release policy. Often times, pirates will be apprehended, only to be held in the brig for a given period of time before being dropped off on a beach or at a small port. “The multiple jurisdictions blur the lines of legal responsibility for bringing suspected pirates to justice.” (“Catch”) Even after a group of pirates is captured, a neighbouring nation of Somalia, often Kenya, has to step up to the plate to try the criminals, since Somalia has no functioning government. Kenyan officials have agreed to try a limited number of pirates in their systems, after signing legal agreements with the Untied States and Great Brittan. “Courts will become overwhelmed- most of Somalia’s neighbours in the horn of Africa lack sufficient lawyers, judges, confinement facilities, and even basic office supplies to handle piracy prosecutions.” (“Catch”) Without an effective system of punishment, there is little to deter Somali fishermen, or politically and financially motivated buccaneers from looking for a way to earn millions and millions of dollars.
 * Solutions to Piracy **

“The absence of effective state in Somalia means there is no local ability to police national waters.” (“Splashing”) This means that all ships in Somali waters and those surrounding are vulnerable to attack from pirates, and there is no form of protection or prevention coming from the government of Somalia. Efforts, however, have been made to increase protection for cargo ships including escort ships and additional security measures onboard. Ships are fitted with kit, “such as barbed or electrical wire, to make it hard for pirates to clamber aboard…. Security firms also put guards on ships.” (“Splashing”) Local coast guards have gotten used to other security vessels patrolling their waters as well- there is currently a large US Navy presence off the coast of east Africa. “Thirty ships are operating in an area almost as big as the United States.” (Boot) Despite the rather formidable number of ships patrolling the pirate infested waters, the chances of our forces, or any forces for that matter, being in the right place at the right time is very slim. “They have been unable the effectively police the more than one million square miles of ocean.” (Boot) In addition to this, local coast guards and outside military forces often have trouble distinguishing their separate jurisdictions…. Figuring out a sensible and workable division of labour between navies and private firms is not easy.” (“Splashing”) Until authorities work out a sensible protection protocol between the different levels of international shipping, counter piracy will remain a chaotic element of trans-oceanic shipping forever. But in the end, no single agency in the war against piracy is likely to succeed, just as no police force can snuff out every criminal and every gang. “Deterrents, or at least stopping attacks at the earliest stage, is always best.” (“Splashing”) As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. In the end, piracy is and has been a part of sea-faring since some poor guy decided he was going to steal a boat, so that he could steal even more boats- full of food and money. The Spanish dealt with pirates in the Caribbean, as did the English off the coast of North Carolina. Even better, people lining in the Indian Ocean Basin have been battling with piracy or participating in piracy, for hundreds of years; because the world’s most traversed shipping lanes are wide open for those with guns and dumb luck to take. In a sense, piracy is a way of life in that area--- something people have simply learned to accept. However, with improved technologies piracy has become more and more violent and detrimental to companies and national economies, each time taking more lives and more money. “Left unchallenged piracy is spinning out of control.” (Boot) “The world’s maritime nations have moved lethargically or not at all until tragedy occurs.” (“Catch”) The more familiar a governing body becomes with a problem, the less of a problem it seems to be until they brush it off completely and let the issue run rampant. After the near one hundred years of ignoring the underlying issues of piracy, we have let it grow our of control, and are beginning to face the consequences. “It is nearly impossible to police the 2.5 million square miles of ocean.” (“Catch”)

When we think of pirates, we think of jolly and loveable rascals such as those in the __Pirates of the Caribbean__ movies by Disney. The fact is that real world pirates are nothing at all like the ones in the movies. Pirates are bloodthirsty, greedy, merciless thugs who have no purpose in the world other than to kill and pillage innocent people and their ships. //"Piracy is the act of boarding any vessel with intent to commit theft or any other crime, and with an intent or capacity to use force in furtherance of that act." (//McDaniel) Governments around the world are taking action throughout the world to try to extinguish this problem. It’s simply not enough. Pirates continue to have a choke hold on the merchants of the seas. If the world’s nations do not take action to put an end to these international felons, the pirates will continue to rob, murder, pillage, and kidnap innocent seafarers. Piracy is often referred to as a "movable crime" because new hot spots tend to pop up all the time while other locations return to relative peace (McDaniel). The biggest problem areas are the Gulf of Aden off the coast of West Africa and the entirety of South-East Asia (NYTimes). There are even hotbeds of pirate activity in South America, showing us that no continent is safe. (McDaniel)
 * The Future of the World with Piracy **

Governments across the world are doing things to support the anti-piracy effort. They are creating maritime security forces such as the Japanese Maritime Safety Force or the Philippine Coast Guard (McDaniel). Some retired soldiers are even gearing up and creating their own private navies to combat these thugs such as the quite fierce Ex-British Army troops, the Gurkhas (McDaniel). These are only the concentrated efforts of a few countries, but not enough support is being generated to stop this threat. Some governments, such as China, even turn a blind eye to piracy, allowing pirates to operate in their waters so that they in turn get a cut in the profit (NYTimes). Pirates continue to pillage innocent seafarers and continue to show themselves as a major threat that is being ignored. The most common type of attack is where pirates board the merchant vessel, rob the crew and escape (McDaniel). These raids on merchant crews yield an average US $20,000 haul, but considerable cash amounts of up to thousands of dollars are commonly held in a merchant ship's safe for payment of port charges and payroll fees, thus increasing the prize gained by raiding pirates. The second type of pirate attack is a more ambitious one where pirates not only rob the crew but steal the cargo (McDaniel). The third type of pirate attack is used to create a Phantom Ship. This is the most sophisticated version of the crime, where pirates take literally everything including the merchant vessel itself (McDaniel). These crimes cost companies billions of dollars a year, so much so that most companies add in the expense of ransoms into their payrolls and expenses, and the price is ultimately paid by the consumer for the billions of dollars that are lost (suite101). We must not allow this to go on any longer. The nations of the world must unite to protect ourselves on the seas against these vicious marauders. If we do not unite anytime soon and strengthen efforts to defeat pirates in the future, then we will continue to be terrorized and robbed each day on the high seas. The terror shall live on and we will continue to find empty boats floating on the seas, abandoned.

__ Works Cited:  __ Addressing the Root Causes of Piracy." //Yemen Post// 15 Dec. 2008: Print Boot, Max. “Pirates, Then and Now: How Piracy Was Defeated in the Past and Can be Again.” Foreign Affairs 88.4 (July-August 2009) 94(14). Global Issues in Context. Gale. Tallwood High School. 18 Jan. 2010. < [] >.

“Catch and Release” __The Wilson Quarterly__ 33.2 (Spring 2009) 86(3). __Global Issues in Context.__ Gale. Tallwood High School. 20 Jan, 2010. < [] >.

Cawthorne, Andrew. "Somali pirates grab Ukrainain ship loaded with tanks." //Somali pirates grab// //Ukrainain ship loaded with tanks// 26 September 2008: 5. Web. 8 Feb 2010. [|http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE48P7IC20080926]

Counter-piracy //operations// 1-4. Web. 19 Jan 2010. [|http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_48815.htm]

Gentlemen, Jeffery. "Somalia's Pirate Economy ." (2008): 2. Web. 8 Feb 2010. __ [] - __

McDaniel, Michael S. “Modern High Seas Piracy.” The Law Offices of Countryman and McDaniel. The Propeller Club of The United States At Port of Chicago. Nov. 2005. //Cargolaw.com//. Web. 20 Jan. 2010. < [|[[http://www.cargolaw.com/‌presentations_pirates.html|http://www.cargolaw.com/] ]]‌presentations_pirates.html Reinhardt, Donald. “Pirates, Modern Piracy and Somalia, What to Do?” //Suite101.com//. Google, 12 Apr. 2009. Web. 20 Jan. 2010. < [] ‌article.cfm/‌pirates_modern_piracy_and_somalia_what_to_do>

"Root Causes of Somali Piracy: Nuclear Dumping and Seafood Looting." //Toward Freedom// 14 April 2009, Print. Sanders, Edmund. "Kenyans pay price of piracy." n. pag. Web. 13 Jan 2010 []

“Splashing, and Clashing, in Murky Waters; Piracy and Private Enterprise.” __The Economist (US)__ 392.8654 (August 22, 2009) 48EU. __Global Issues in Context.__ Gale. Tallwood High School. 20 Jan 2010. < [] >.