New ways to present information bring home the real story: Piracy's a pain that ain't goin' away.
By Ryan Skinner (email)
About two weeks ago, I started monitoring sources of information regarding merchant shipping piracy, and plotting in events and announcements in a timeline, produced by a nice service called Dipity.
Here's the timeline. Zoom in, zoom out, scroll, explore, have fun. Just note that the "location" function doesn't work worth a d*mn (my one real complaint with the service).
If you want to build on this timeline, feel free. You simply need to register with Dipity and then search for it (you'll also find a link below the timeline above). I'm quite certain I've left it open for people to add their own content.
Thanks to EUNAVFOR, OceanusLIVE, Lloyd's List, Marsec Review and others, who were my main sources for the content of the timeline!
More and more owners are turning to the use of private armed guards to help provide a safe passage for their vessels against acts of piracy.
In the seas off Somalia, in spite of the best efforts of multinational navies, piracy continues (weather permitting) unabated.
It will be said that such owners are taking the law into their own hands. However, with little else being done to end the scourge, they are acting to protect the well being of their companies and at the same time those they totally rely on to run their commerce.
In spite of this huge menace and threat to the general wellbeing of society and to seafarers in particular, the world’s leaders are content to continue with weak semantic political platitudes.
The almost instantaneous release of suspects allows them back into the fold, armed with both more experience and weapons, rejoining the packs of seaborne jackals to prey yet again on unarmed merchant vessels and their largely unprotected seafarers.
Release because of “lack of evidence” or unwillingness to prosecute
is commonplace and disheartening to both the captors and those they are there to protect.
Face Of Shipping’s George Hoyt has voiced the idea of using prison ships to hold pirates and suspects to prevent them from continuing to practice their evil art. Sadly, there does not seem to be such a vessel currently on the market.
Let the world, led by the industry call on the United Nations Security Council to raise an emergency resolution, (they have the power, but do they have the will?) to charter an accommodation vessel, or vessels if needs be, to serve as an international facility.
Detention of pirates and suspects, at least the Somalia-based ones, would easily become possible. Mind you, they would enjoy much more comfortable conditions than they afford to their innocent captives.
Such vessels may need modification but if commonsense prevails, this need not be extensive.It would certainly prevent those experienced in piracy returning home to flaunt their wealth.
Realisation that pirate groups no longer get released and are free to roam with impunity would sink in.
This will not be a total solution, but as part of it will go a long way towards protecting an innocent hard working and professional element of society that goes about its business mostly unseen and unheralded.
There is a joint industry anti-piracy petition still open, sign up now and ask others to do so at http://www.itfseafarers.org/petition.cfm
Finally, let us take some time out to remember those on board their vessels diligently serving the world’s needs and economy, particularly the 650-plus, who, in performing their duty now languish as captives because of heinous acts of piracy.
Jim Nicoll
www.faceofshipping.com
Posted by: James Nicoll | December 30, 2010 at 03:53 AM