Highlights
– France to call on United Nations (UN) to establish international anti-piracy force
– High-tech technologies developed to bolster vessel defense against pirates
– Lawless waters off Nigeria and Somalia likely to stimulate increased pirate activity in the near-term
In the first three months of 2008, 49 pirate attacks were reported to the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre. While many pirate attacks go unreported, the figure represents a 20 percent increase from the corresponding period in 2007. Nigerian waters ranked as the least secure with ten incidents reported mostly off Lagos. Next on the list were waters off India and Somalia, with five incidents reported in each.
The attacks in India were mostly small-scale incidents of theft. The incidents reported in Somali waters and the Gulf of Aden, however, highlighted a popular objective; hijacking passenger luxury vessels. Heavily armed Somali pirates have been seeking to hijack vessels and hold crewmembers for ransom, as illustrated in the recent French yacht hostage crisis off the Horn of Africa .
Several recent attacks underscore a heightened level of pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden.
• On April 20, 2008 pirates seized a Spanish fishing vessel in international waters, 250 miles off the Horn of Africa.
• On April 21, 2008 pirates off the coast of Yemen attacked a 150,000-ton Japanese tanker with rocket launchers, causing fuel to leak from the vessel.
• On April 22, 2008 Somali regional forces rescued a United Arab Emirates flagged vessel that was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden a day earlier.
For the remainder of 2008, worldwide pirate attacks will likely increase in frequency, with a majority of incidents occurring in the lawless waters of Nigeria and Somalia. Additionally, large-scale, highly equipped navies will likely be called to step up patrols in high traffic commercial lanes, such as the Gulf of Aden, where unchecked pirate activity threatens the stability of major international shipping routes.
France Calls for International Maritime Security Force
Six of the Somali pirates who hijacked the French yacht stood before a French judge last week as they face charges of hijacking, kidnapping, illegal confinement and making ransom demands as part of an organized gang. Early investigations indicate the men belong to a well-organized maritime militia based in small village of Garaad-Ade, in a northern region of the semi-autonomous Puntland. Recent reports indicate that these pirate gangs have attacked a variety of vessels ranging from commercial tankers to fishing ships. Additionally, as the gangs enjoy protection and equipment from local warlords in Puntland, it is likely that they will continue to perpetrate hijackings in the near-term unless international security efforts are enhanced to combat the trend.
France is using the latest hostage crisis as support for the establishment of a UN international maritime fleet assigned to combat rampant piracy off the coast of Somalia, the Gulf of Aden, and waterways in Southeast Asia. The move has already received backing from the International Maritime Organization and France is expected to submit a written proposal on the initiative to the UN Security Council this week.
Making Vessels “Pirate-Proof”
As international navies debate the best method to establish an international peacekeeping fleet for high risk waterways, high-tech maritime security technologies are being tested and marketed that could increase a vessel’s chances of warding off a pirate attack.
• A Netherlands based company has marketed a high-voltage perimeter fencing that can emit a non-lethal 9000-volt charge.
• The US Marine Corps has tested a slippery chemical spray that can coat the surface of a vessel and greatly reduce surface traction for pirates attempting to board a vessel.
• The US Military developed a deafening dish that emits up to a 150-decibel sound blast. In 2005, a luxury cruise ship used a similar device to ward off a pirate attack 100 miles off the coast of Somalia .
• A British defense firm developed an underwater sonar system that emits an alert when an acoustic perimeter surrounding the vessel is breached.
International Maritime Force Required to Curb Growing Trend
IMB’s quarterly report showed significant progress in the Malacca Strait as no attacks have been reported thus far in 2008. Once a hotbed for pirate activity, the important waterway has seen a significant drop in reported piracy incidents over the last few years largely due to the increase in participation and patrols from the littoral states of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Similar international maritime cooperation will be required in the waters off the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden, especially as the Somali government’s internal instability and lack of military resources continue to undermine its ability to effectively uproot pirate activity along its 2050 mile coastline.
