Introduction to Modern Day 
Maritime
Piracy
For most of us, Piracy is a romantic term from the 17th to 19th centuries
that is characteristic of childhood books and stories like Treasure
Island, Peter Pan, and other romantic literature from our childhood.
"This is when pirates operated from distant ports or uninhabited coasts
and islands, preying on the commercial explorers of a period when most
navies lacked the skills and equipment to dominate the oceans. Pirate ships
in those days flew skull and crossbones flags."1
Piracy still exists in the modern world, but it has reached new heights
and is seemingly, out of control. "Cutlasses have been replaced by automatic
rifles and in place of parrots, rocket propelled grenade launchers rest
on pirates' shoulders."2
Today, the United Nations
Law of the Sea defines Piracy as "any illegal acts of violence
or detention, or any act of depredation, committed by individuals for private
ends against a private ship or aircraft."3
Acts of piracy for political motives are not covered by the definition
provided above. In addition, there is a requirement that there are at least
two vessels involved - a "pirate" vessel and a "victim" vessel. This is
the primary distinction between piracy and hijacking.
Attacks range from incidents in which the pirates have simply taken money
and valuables from the crew and the ship's safe, to cases where the entire
cargo has been stolen. (There
are three main classifications of Pirates.) Usually, "violence"
is used only as a threat, but occasionally, injuries and even murders,
are committed. Reports of incidents show that apart from the danger to
the crews who are the victims of an attack, there are oftentimes, environmental
and navigational dangers associated with these attacks. There have been
occasional reports where entire crews have been tied up and the ships have
been left to steam at full power with nobody in control while the robbers
make their escape!
Attacker
Profiles
The worldwide average shows that pirate teams normally consist of six to
ten personnel. They tend to operate high speed small craft, and usually
carry knives, and small arms. "In some incidents, victims have reported
that their attackers appeared to be operating small “patrol-type” craft.
Their method for underway attacks favors an approach from the stern of
the victim vessel, and they tend to use grappling hooks for boarding larger
ships . . . Several cases of ship takeovers have been attributed to attackers
who relied on onboard counterparts (pre-planned stowaways) and conspiring
crew members."4 Attackers continue to show a preference
for easily carried valuables and cash.
Why is maritime piracy such a widespread
issue?
Maritime piracy is a widespread international concern. Over the years,
it has been on the rise, with the number of attacks increasing substantially.
(See
Statistics Page) The increase in acts
of piracy are the direct result of the following:
-
Inherent Vulnerability:
Due to their massive size and weight, and slowness due to tonnage, deep
sea vessels are easy targets for pirates. "When confined to a narrow or
restrictive channel, and operating at night or during times of limited
visibility, vessels are extremely susceptible to hostile boarding."5
The majority of attackers are aware of specific operations details of the
vessels they plan on attacking, beforehand. As a result they can strategize
their plan of attack, and "strike at the most inopportune moment for the
crew, knowing full well that the ship's complement ill be busied with the
task of making a safe passage through a difficult or congested sea way.
The ship's crew is focused on what is ahead of her, not what is behind
her. This makes it a simple task for a high speed small craft to
overtake from astern."6
In addition, economic motives
and technological improvements have resulted in smaller crews on (larger)
vessels. This makes the ships that much more vulnerable to attacks.
-
Easy for Pirates
to Get Away: Pirates know that there are no police officers or government
officials present out in the middle of the sea to capture them while they
are committing their crimes. As result, they know that they have plenty
of time to rob the crew, steal the cargo, and exit the vessel before authorities
arrive, let alone be notified!
-
Lack of Reporting
and Law Enforcement: In addition, ship owners are reluctant to directly
address the issue of maritime piracy. "In many cases, they issue orders
to their shipmasters to downplay any hostile acts. The rationalization
is that incident reporting can effect the bottom line directly either through
insurance premium increases, vessel delays, or by unfavorable media coverage.
. . The perpetrators of the crimes are playing the odds, and the odds are
in their favor. Their risk vs. reward ratio is very favorable."7 Once
the pirates have escaped the vessel, it is extremely rare for them to ever
be found out and linked directly to the crime in question. By the time
authorities catch up to them, the stolen cargo has been sold off and the
getaway vessel repainted. As a result, even if ship owners do report the
piracy incident, and authorities do in fact have a solid lead as to the
identity of the attackers, it is still extremely difficult to discover
physical proof linking the pirates to the attack. In addition, a
ship is usually protected and/or defended in international waters by the
country/state whose flag it flies. These days, ships often fly "flags of
convenience." This makes it more problematic to use diplomatic pressure
on countries from which pirates operate. In the meantime, the decreasing
budgets of naval forces in many smaller, less economically developed countries,
as well as the shifts in government priorities, make it difficult to police
the high seas. Many countries also tend to want to avoid diplomatic conflicts.
In some extreme cases, government officials themselves have been found
to be involved in acts of piracy.
FOOTNOTES:
1.
United Nations: Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS).
Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations, New York, NY. www.un.org/Depts/los/
2.
Gibson/London, Helen. "High Seas: A Plague of Pirates." TIME Magazine:
August 18, 1997. Volume 150. Number 7. http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/5213/plague.htm
3.
United Nations: Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS).
Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations, New York, NY. www.un.org/Depts/los/
4.
Kellerman, David N. "Worldwide Maritime Piracy Report: June 1999." www.maritimesecurity.com
5.
Kellerman, David N. "Worldwide Maritime Piracy Report: June 1999." www.maritimesecurity.com
6.
Kellerman, David N. "Worldwide Maritime Piracy Report: June 1999." www.maritimesecurity.com
7.
Kellerman, David N. "Worldwide Maritime Piracy Report: June 1999." www.maritimesecurity.com
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Introduction
Piracy Statistics
The 3 Types of Piracy
The Problem of Under-Reporting
Legal
Aspects & Current Legislation
Piracy HotSpots
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How to Reduce Piracy
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Created by Cleopatra Delegas: [email protected]