Piracy off the coast of Somalia last year dropped to the lowest level since 2004. In 2012, Somali pirates hijacked 14 ships, whereas in 2013, they successfully hijacked two, both of which were released in a day’s time as a result of naval action. Worldwide piracy is at a six year low.
The West coast of Africa was the one area where piracy got worse last year. Nigerian pirates venturing as far waters off Gabon, Ivory Coast and Togo, were linked with at least five of the region’s seven reported vessel hijackings last year. The region with the largest number of pirate attacks was Indonesia though these were characterized as primarily “low-level opportunistic thefts.”
The International Chamber of Shipping recently issued a study Lessons Identified from Somali Piracy. The study notes the initial challenges in making governments appreciate the seriousness of the problem and publicizing the problems in the media. Conditions improved with the involvement of international navies, anti-piracy measures taken aboard ships transiting the area, the use of private armed security teams and the prosecuting of captured pirates. Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.
Past is prologue. Study the history of this nation during the Wars of the Barbary Pirates. I have cringed reading comments that “…these pirates have a right to their actions due to poverty and the acts of imperial nations.” What is going on here? There’s an answer to the problems these pirates pursue. Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile–along with innocent lives and vessels of every nation and their passengers.