Rampant piracy affecting sea trade

DAWN
Tuesday, September 29, 2009

However, it was also a general view that the causes of sea piracy were based on land and without removing these factors such as deprivation, socio-economic inequality and hunger the world should not think of getting rid of or reducing growing piracy.

Some speakers disclosed that most of the deals and negotiations for payment of ransom money were taken place in London where leading lawyers were engaged to get vessels and hostages released from the pirates.

Factors for rampant piracy at some of the major sea routes and narrow waterways were easy access to high-tech communication equipment like mobile and wireless phones and automatic weapons such AK-47 and RPGs.

Despite the fact the piracy is the third oldest profession in the world but lately it has assumed unprecedented activity with Gulf of Aden heavily infected with Somali pirates.

It was observed that pirates mostly go for ships which lack in many ways and do not have proper vigilance and security system. However, latest incidents startled the world where Very Large Container Carriers (VLCCs) were taken over by Somali pirates.

Captain Nicolas Cooper, the past president of Nautical Institute London, was of the view that anyone who thought piracy especially in the Somali context as some deprived tribal group of disenfranchised people seeking social equality, or other lofty ideals, was living in a fool’s paradise.

‘It is a business for them, pure and simple, but the problem for us is that unlike a normal business transaction, they are prepared to kill hostages to get with they want,’ he added.

He disclosed that currently some 200 to 300 seafarers were held as hostages in Somalia and not even the best informed intelligence agency in the world exactly knows where they all are or perhaps they do, but they are not telling us.

Capt Anwar Shah, Governor World Maritime University, Malmao (Sweden), while fully subscribing to measures taken by International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and United Nations insisted that core issue of poverty alleviation, stability in Somalia may also be addressed.

He also stressed upon the need to bar all trawlers from Somali economic zone, so that poor Somali fishermen who have turned pirates may be reformed and be provided fishing boats with modern gadgetry to earn their livelihood. Otherwise, he said with around 120 vessels moving towards Suez or the Indian Ocean per day it was a lucrative business of pirates as well as for insurance and security companies to make higher earners.

The conference was organised by The Master Mariners Society of Pakistan here on Monday.