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Old 01-18-2010, 07:54 AM   #1
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2009_Annual_IMB_Piracy_Report.pdf
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Old 01-21-2010, 01:57 AM   #2
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[QUOTE=MMNETSEA;39998]Attachment 1220

Had reports from some members that the above .pdf doc could not be opened - therefore have extracted the summary of pirate activity during the 2009 calendar year :-

SOMALIA/GULF OF ADEN ATTACK FIGURES UPDATE

Since January to December 2009, the IMB PRC received reports of 217 incidents

carried out by suspected Somali pirates. The incidents varied in geographical

location encompassing the waters off the east and south coast of Somalia

including the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, Southern Red Sea, Straits of Bab El

Mandeb, off east coast Oman and the Arabian Sea.

867 crewmembers have been taken hostage. A further 10 have been injured, four killed and one missing.

There have been 80 attacks off the east and south coast of Somalia, 116 attacks in

the Gulf of Aden, 15 attacks in the southern Red Sea, four attacks off Oman and

one reported in the Arabian Sea and 1 in the Indian Ocean. 47 vessels have

been reported hijacked in this period.

As on 31 December 2009, suspected Somali pirates held 12 vessels for ransom

with 263 crewmembers of various nationalities as hostages.

Somali pirates have attacked all types of vessels; General cargo, Bulk carrier, all

types of Tanker, Ro Ro, Container, Fishing vessel, Sailing yacht and Tugboat.

Pirate attacks are continuing with serious concerns as Somali pirates are firing

their RPG and automatic weapons indiscriminately to intimidate the Master to

stop the vessel.

Pirates are now more desperate to hijack ships.

Recent attacks, at distances of over 1000 nautical miles from Mogadishu,

indicate the increased capability of the Somali pirate. Somali pirates are now

attacking vessels off Kenya / off Tanzania/ off Seychelles, off Madagascar and in

the Indian Ocean.
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Old 01-21-2010, 05:15 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MMNETSEA View Post
Pirates are now more desperate to hijack ships.

Recent attacks, at distances of over 1000 nautical miles from Mogadishu,

indicate the increased capability of the Somali pirate. Somali pirates are now

attacking vessels off Kenya / off Tanzania/ off Seychelles, off Madagascar and in

the Indian Ocean.
I think that's what happens when the first hijackers got away with it and received such huge sums of ransom money. That's funded bigger and better boats and munitions to expand their business. This is now a many-headed Hydra that is tough to control. I didn't think blowing them out of the water was right, but now I'm not so sure - bad behavior without consequences results in a lot more much worse behavior.
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Old 01-22-2010, 09:16 AM   #4
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I'm mystified as to why ships ( merchant and naval) don't just give them - the pirates- the hot end of the gun double pronto.

These are pirates, pure and simple, and lets not get them confused with armed robbers etc within port limits.

For years after capital punishment was abolished in the UK for every other crime it was still on the books for piracy and treason and I think thatfor those two offences it was only abolished in about 1999.

As late as the 1950s ships built to trade on the China Coast still carried anti-piracy guards ( very often - if not always - White Russians ) and a rather cool armoury. Gratings and steel doors with gun slits converted the wheelhouse and surrounds into a veritable citadel. As master my Dad was always issued with an S & W .38... pirates... for the use *on*.....

Not talking about defending yachts here but merchant ships where it is a practical option... I guess its all too PC these days....

'I didn't think blowing them out of the water was right'...... Oh yes it was/is.......
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Old 01-22-2010, 12:48 PM   #5
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Frank and Jeanne,

The mind boggles at the way the present situation has developed.

Puzzled by the presence of a least 20 warships tasked with protecting the 52,000 merchant ships that transit the Gulf of Aden each year ( that is 70 odd merchant ships each way each day) When one analyzes last years piracy report, the number of occasions when a warship actually intercepted pirates during the commission of attacking a ship was embarrassingly small.

In the majority of cases of ships being able to evade being taken hostage, was by the ship employing evasion tactics and increasing speed.

What does it cost to operate these warships far from their country of origin? Their role in the gulf has not achieved the objective (whatever that role may be ???)

As an alternative to these warships twiddling their thumbs - how about placing an 8 man stick of trained professional marines or sailors or soldiers armed with appropriate weapons on each Merchant ship as it enters the Gulf from the East or from the West ?

560 men plus 40 support each end; ie.. A Battalion of 1200 on 2 Helicopter carrying Warships, one stationed in the Red Sea 100 nm north of the straits of Bab El Mandab and the other, 600 nm East of the Straits. At 15 knots it would only take 2˝ days.

Each 8 man unit's instructions " If attacked by anyone who attempts by force to capture the ship and take hostages -- Return fire and sink the vessel/s used by the attacking pirates". How long before the remaining pirates would decide to find alternative employment?

The cost of a battalion and its support could be covered by a mandatory fee levied on each ship. Wonder what it is costing to deploy the present warships ???

Some will say that the pirates should just be arrested and handed over to some nation that agrees to prosecute and punish them. Surely in most countries when armed robbers take hostages during a bank holdup - the law enforcement agencies will usually send in swot teams (armed police) with instructions to arrest and if necessary shoot to kill the robbers. Is that analogy so different to the present situation in the Gulf of Aden ?
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Old 01-22-2010, 07:02 PM   #6
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It's hard for me to admit that I feel the same way, Richard.

There are a whole lot of soldiers on a battleship, it seems that they could be divvied up among the ships transiting the Gulf of Aden. For that matter, in WWII ships crossing the Atlantic did so in convoy with a navy vessel - why could that not be done nowadays? Is it that the ships' owners so far believe that the odds of their being attacked is less than one in 1000 or so? Short-sighted, if so.

I'm disappointed in the inaction of the big nations.
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Old 01-24-2010, 01:37 AM   #7
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An interesting fact has just been provided regarding the most recent hijackings :-

"The last 34 out of 36 ships that were hijacked were not following industry best management practices"

Let us hope that the sailboats that left South East Asia at the beginning of the year bound for the Med are going to follow best management practices!

For Skippers who are determined to risk their lives and those of their crew, the ISAF has issued guidelines specifically directed at sailboats and other recreational vessels :-

ISAFGuidelinesForPreventionOfPiracy__7256_.pdf
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Old 01-24-2010, 06:01 AM   #8
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DISCLAIMER

The introduction to the above guidance directive - states :-

These notes are published in co-operation with the MSCHOA (Maritime

Security Centre – Horn of Africa) set up by EU NAVFOR ATALANTA.

The notes are for guidance only and a final decision on whether to enter the Gulf

of Aden or any waters where pirates operate and how to conduct a vessel in

those waters remains entirely the responsibility of the master of each vessel.
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