12:10 AM Thu 16 Apr 2009 GMT
 | | 'Somali Pirates photographed from US Navy ships who encircle the hijacked Faina'
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The recent pirate strikes are just the tip of the iceberg if retaliation threats are to be believed. One local expert believes that while the UN and international forces are committed to patrolling hot spots, the impact of these attacks will have far-reaching impact, at the petrol pump, the hardware and all manner of consumer goods.
According to Professor Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law at the College of Law at ANU, Canberra, it is inevitable that the upsurge of piracy will result in increases in insurance premiums for shipping companies and at a consumer level, a jump in prices at the checkout on anything that is shipped.
Most consumers don't realise the price they pay for piracy. The Suez Canal via the Gulf of Aden is the main route for ships plying their trade from Asia to Europe and the East Coast of the United States, laden with goods as varied as toys, clothing and cars. The increased risk of hijacking in the area, mainly from pirates based in Somalia, has resulted in higher insurance premiums, crew costs and security costs. All of this makes the voyage more expensive, and these costs get passed on directly to consumers.
According to international law, Somalia is responsible for protecting and policing the waters of the Gulf of Aden, but, as he explains: "there is a break down of law and order in the region, so it would be impossible to apply the principals of international law".
"It is a Somali problem, but there is no distinct government there, just a loose collection of War Lords, so prosecution would have little chance of success.
"There has always been trouble in that region, but as lawlessness has worsened, and as young men have seen they can enjoy a living from piracy, it has flourished. They are well equipped, with rocket propelled weapons, sub machine guns and some missile capabilities, which are all very threatening to a merchant crew. And they are no longer discriminating, attacking fishing vessels, tourist yachts, luxury liners, cruisers, bulk and crude carriers of all flags."
The UN Security Council, Professor Rothwell continues, is working with the international community and now, the US from the President and US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton to the Department of Defense and Homeland Security, to take a broader initiative both on the water and on land.
"Recently, more than 20 nations were involved in patrols around the region, but there were only about 12 war ships covering a vast range of water. The US is in discussions with its allies about a task force to coordinate patrols, escort vessels and other preventative measures to deter pirates."
The Gulf of Aden, which links the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, is one of the world's busiest and most vital shipping lanes, crossed by over 20,000 ships each year. A flotilla of warships from nearly a dozen countries has patrolled the Gulf of Aden and nearby Indian Ocean waters for months. In the first nine months of 2008, there were 199 maritime attacks, according to the Piracy Reporting Centre of the International Maritime Bureau.
Pirates have attacked 78 ships this year, hijacking 19 of them, and 17 ships with over 300 crew still remain in pirates' hands, according to Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur. Each boat carries the potential of a million-dollar ransom.
The attacks are not only a threat to seafarers, ships and cargoes, but are also a threat to the economies of the countries where the goods are intended to end up, particularly if the easy pickings at sea are copied by terrorists with more sinister aims than to get rich quickly. In the current financial climate, the potential increase in the price of goods is just one more factor that will not help to restore economic confidence.
This week, Somali pirates captured four more ships and took more than 60 crew members hostage in a brazen hijacking spree, both under the cover of darkness and during broad daylight.
In a dramatic rescue, US Navy SEALS shot three pirates dead on Sunday night to free Phillips after a five-day standoff. The pirates have vowed retribution for their five colleagues slain by US and French forces in hostage rescues in the last week, and the top US military officer said on Tuesday he takes those comments seriously. Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, assured the media that the combined forces are "very well prepared to deal with anything like that".
Despite Mullen's confident statement and President Barack Obama's warning of further US action, Somali pirates captured two more ships earlier this week - the Lebanese-owned cargo ship MV Sea Horse, the Greek-managed bulk carrier MV Irene E.M - to add to their latest haul of two Egyptian fishing boats. Maritime officials said the Irene carried 21 to 23 Filipino crew and the International Maritime Bureau reported 36 fishermen, all believed to be Egyptian, on the two boats. The Sea Horse would likely have around a dozen sailors onboard.
The long-term solution to the problem will not be found at sea, but on the ground in Somalia via a properly functioning government and law enforcement agencies. Southeast Asia's antipiracy measures developed over the past three to five years show how effective political solutions can be. During this period, the three littoral states -- Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia -- have mounted joint air and sea patrols of the Strait of Malacca, drastically reducing the number of attacks on ships in the area.
 | Somali pirates - emboldened by payment of ransoms - .. . |
International experts recommend ships coordinate their transits more closely with the naval presence in those waters, and to monitor International Maritime Bureau reports, and other reports, to avoid areas where attacks are taking place. The naval forces working to protect our ships could also improve their effectiveness through better coordination, more defined 'rules of engagement' and the organization of regular convoys.
There also needs to be concerted efforts to enforce legislation that criminalizes piracy at sea, in line with the relevant articles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, so that pirates may be caught by navy ships and prosecuted, not returned to shore only to regroup and carry out the next bout of attacks.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton weighed in yesterday, unveiling a four-point plan to fight piracy that calls for prosecution and freezing pirates' assets.
The United States will work with the international community to 'explore ways to track and freeze pirate assets', Clinton told reporters, adding Washington was determined to make sure 'states take responsibility for prosecuting and imprisoning captured pirates.
Clinton dismissed suggestions that it would be difficult to track the ill-gotten gain of pirates operating out of Somalia, where state institutions collapsed in the last two decades. 'We track and freeze and try to disrupt the assets of many stateless groups,' including Islamist terrorists, Clinton said.
'We notice pirates are buying more and more sophisticated equipment ... buying faster and more capable vessels,' the chief US diplomat said.
With the outlaws 'clearly using ransom money for both their personal benefit and for piracy', she added there are 'ways to crack down on companies that do business with pirates'.
The IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre advises ships' Masters to maintain strict 24-hour piracy watches and be especially wary of any approaching small craft. The Bureau further urges ships to report their presence and intended itinerary to the Horn of Africa coalition taskforce, and in the Indian Ocean to observe a Ship Security Level appropriate to the level of pirate attacks reported in the region.
It also urges that Masters report all actual or attempted attacks, as well as any suspicious vessel movements, to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. Such information could provide vital intelligence for other Masters navigating in the area, the PRC says, and has resulted in attacks being averted.
The PRC can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a week on +603 2031 0014, or emailed on imbkl@icc-ccs.org
by Jeni Bone
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