Just a few days ago, Somali pirates seized an Algerian ship on the Indian Ocean, which had on-board 27 crew members. On the same day, another boat was reported hijacked by Somali pirates. This time a Mozambican fishing vessel, which held 14 crew members.
Stories like these are more common than we are led to believe by the news. According to the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) approximately 20-30 reported pirating incidences occur per month. The IMB Piracy Reporting Center also reports that currently 27 vessels, and 625 hostages are being held by Somali pirates alone. Although, the numbers have gone up since the two most recent incidences.
With seaborne piracy on the rise, what does it mean for people like us? Since these pirates take anything that make profit - they're not only willing to stealing cargo, but they're also known for kidnapping passengers. Even cruise liners have become targets and travelers should be aware of their cruise line destinations before they embark on their journey. Additionally, with companies paying more to protect and insure their vessels and goods, consumers may soon be seeing price hikes on products as companies try to minimize their losses.
While we hear much news about digital piracy, we seem to hear very little about these above incidences. So to catch you up on this ongoing issue of pirating, here are seven facts about modern day pirates...
1. They exist!
Modern day pirates exist. They may not be the peg legged, eye patched, and hook-for-a-hand types Hollywood depicts, but they are ruthless and dangerous characters. The Heritage Foundations describes the pirates in Asia as......appear to be a heterogeneous group that includes opportunistic fishermen, common criminals, Asian mafia, and in some cases members of the maritime security forces responsible for safeguarding shipping.
2. What you can Expect:
Seaborne piracy can range from the more common stealing of cargo while the boat is anchored, to boarding and hijacking of a boat at sea. On Live Piracy Reports by IMB you can read many incidences similar to this -15 armed robbers boarded an anchored chemical tanker. The robbers were very violent with the crew and mustered them in the mess room. Ship and crew cash and crew personal items were robbed. Some crew members suffered minor injuries. Later the robbers forced the chief engineer and master to sail the vessel under their order to an undesignated position. Here the vessel was forced to conduct STS (ship to ship) operations and discharge their cargo into a smaller unnamed vessel.
3. High-tech and Armed:
Modern day pirates, are definitely not like those in movies. They are closer in appearance to military groups and are equipped with the most advanced technologies. From GPS systems, speed boats and heavy-duty firepower, which includes automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and the like. The Heritage Foundations describes,Many reports describe heavily armed men with military-style weapons. [...] almost all reported acts of piracy involve armed intruders who threaten and often injure, kidnap, or kill members of the crew.
4. Government & Organized Crime:
Many pirates are associated with and often times secretly funded by governments or anti-government groups. Some pirates in the South China Sea are reportedly working with the Chinese government, while other groups, like the Somali pirates, are flourishing as a result of successful government control.
5. Financial Loss
According to The Heritage Foundation, the estimated annual financial loss due to seaborne piracy in the year 2000 (with respect to unreported and reported incidences) was at $16 billion USD.
6. Where?
According to the ICC International Maritime Bureau many areas of South East Asia and Indian Sub Continent, Africa and the Red Sea, South and Central American including the Caribbean waters, the Arabian sea, and the Indian Ocean are prone to frequent attacks by pirates. For obvious reasons, safer waters are usually near countries with fully trained maritime security forces and where there is reasonable political stability.
7. Environmental Pirates?
If you've caught a glimpse of Whale Wars, you'll know the heated action that takes place on the oceans to defend marine wildlife against whalers, poachers and the like. Organizations like the Sea Shepherds use direct tactics to deter ships from harming marine wildlife, by sometimes using paintballs, stink bombs, or even rancid butter. They may not sound as dangerous as the Somali pirates, but their jobs are equally as dangerous.
We may not hear about them in the news every day, but seaborne pirating is a huge topic that affects travel, the environment, and global trade. For more information on seaborne pirating you can visit the ICC International Maritime Bureau.
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