Somalian Pirates

After the news recently with the increase in piracy around the Horn of Africa, i

wondered whether the forum would comment on whether ransom money should

be paid to this growing problem? Clearly the pirates make a hansom living from

their business at the moment. I have some more direct theories about what

should be done. Would anyone wish to put forward ideas?

 

Clearly the pirates make a hansom living from their business at the moment.

Since Somalia will not imprison them when captured and returned (there a big part of the GNP) the Navy's of the world are reluctant to act.

It would only raise the insurance rates a bit if the pirates and the boats they capture were simply sunk.

But the $1.00 a day crew of the tankers would be lost , unfairly , and the tree huggers would be beserk at some oil on the water.

I would cordon off Somalia , any vessel that is not a pure fishing boat ,by inspection , would be sunk , on the spot, night or day.

But it would be "illegal" by world maritime laws.

FF

 

Someone makes a good living out of the ransomes paid, but certainly not the pirates.. However at the sametime the biggest fleet of the world **** around the straight of Hormuz Got beaten last time in the African Horn? Yellow bellies say I...

 

My father was cruising off North Kenya recently in his wharram cat. He said that 2 open boats drove up at speed and sat about half a mile off for about 10 mins before leaving. He is convinced that they were Pirates who decided that it was not worth their trouble to bother with a boat that looked cheaper than their own!

The pirates off Somalia are a mix of kids in fishing boats with Ak47s and organised warlords funding armies. It’s a difficult problem that can only be solved by stopping the pirates from profiting from what they do. International navies are going to have to protect boats in dangerous areas and arrest the pirates. The French have made a good start at this but it is useless if the pirates can still get ransoms.

 

Saw this in the Toronto Star recently.

Looks like Somalia's neighbours are starting to get a bit ticked off. The figure of $150m a year in piracy ransom revenues sounds a bit high; I've heard $50m a year quoted by other news sources a fair bit lately.

Whether it's $50m or $150m, that's a lot of revenue coming into Somalia. Various navies seem to be taking turns escorting UN relief ships in and out, but it's a big area and the pirates are getting awfully brazen.

I caught a bit of a news clip yesterday about a couple of major shipping lines ordering their fleets to avoid the Gulf of Aden and plot new courses around the Cape....

 

Simple the pirates strong holds have been identified plug in a few co ords into a cruise or two and its over and out. Oh! I forgot no oil in Somalia silly me

 

I'm surprised that the shipping companies are so reluctant to have weapons on board. They could easily hire a half-dozen or so professional mercs per ship (Blackwater or some such), let them bring their favorite weapons, and this would come to a full stop pretty quickly. Wouldn't need a whole lot (couple .50 cal's would probably do), and would be cheaper than having an armed escort ship.

 

clmanges,
You forget that the pirates have earnt themselves $hundreds of millions which they have no doubt put back into arming themselves. They are professional outfits. If they start encountering armed guards on board then they will start firing sooner and the whole thing will escalate. Shipping companies are more willing to pay a couple of million ransom rather than risk damaging ships or killing crew in a fire fight.

 

I wish I had a fast 60 ft'er. with quad 50 cals. . . . . I'd go grab my own oil tanker. . ... .

 

"THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL OUTFITS". . . .come on. . . .

 

I dont think your quite understanding this very well. Can you tell me how you intend to get onto a ship travelling at say15KTs and climp up the side of a steel wall ,then get up to the bridge on an unkown vessel and make a surprise attack. Well you cant , the crew has to be in on it.

They have anti piracy techniques such as thousands of gall of water being pumped off the back where the grappling hook would be deployed. They also have trip wires that surround the hand rail of the ship, plus they do have 24 hour look outs when in suspect areas.

So unless some of the crew are in on it!!!

Once they start paying them not do it then you have made it legal.

 

I read that a Norwegian vessel fight them off with fire fighting equipment ant they give up after a hour.
I can totaly understand that since I think it's quite difficult to get on board already be four you get a water hose in your face.

 

outrage is little motivator for underwriters, unless of course its in their own back yards. and pirates need to be careful to carburate their taste for commercial goods while being mindful to not damage any human goods that trace back to aristocracy. more generally the fix is entirely in the hands of insurance carriers. eventually the cost of piracy will outstrip the prize on pirate heads, at which point somalia's seat at the big table loses prominance and supply of those heads will increase. irony has it that much of that suppy will come from pirates themselves, but i can envision a return to the division of bountry for the lads of fine navy ships but that's just a sting on the back of the hands of 3rd world nations that tacitly sponsor piracy.

 

A more permanent solution would be to use some gasoline instead of water.

Of course there is a reluctance to arm civilian ships with RPG's or automatic weapons, but that isn't necessary. Entering a large vessel at sea is almost impossible if the crew takes countermeasures, in fact even without help it is very difficult.

Somehow the problem does not seem to be important enough for the UN or navy to use air or sat surveillance. Or maybe the so-called pirates are government employed....

 

Hi
i would say no to paying money to groups that spend it on getting weapons but then think about what it would be like to be a hostage and to hear that your country won't bail you out.