America.gov (Washington, DC)
Lauren Caldwell
7 July 2009
More pirate hijackings have been prevented this year, thanks to self-protection measures and international coalitions, according to a State Department official.
"The success rate for pirate attacks is below 25 percent compared with 2008, when success rates were over 40 percent," said David Foran, an officer in the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, in an America.gov webchat June 30.
Piracy, occurring most recently off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, increases the cost of shipping, slows regional development and prevents humanitarian aid from reaching Africa. Last year, owners of hijacked ships paid about $30 million in ransom to Somali pirates.
Although the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command projects the number of pirate attacks will double in 2009, new deterrence strategies are in place and the international community is better prepared to defend its ships.
Self-defense provides the greatest deterrence against pirates, according to Foran. The U.S. Coast Guard recently advised vessels operating near Somalia to consider the use of armed or unarmed security. Panama, Liberia, the Marshall Islands and the Bahamas require their vessels to employ self-protection measures, he said. Many ships use nonlethal defense tactics, including fire hoses, rubber bullets and sonic weapons.
There has been some recent movement among U.S. officials, lawmakers and analysts toward accepting the idea of private security on commercial ships. But industry representatives continue to express reserve about armed security guards because of their concerns about liability for accidents. Foran, when asked whether arming commercial ships would deter pirates, said, "The short answer is we don't know."
A Somali suspect exits a U.S. Navy ship in Mombasa after his arrest in June for attempting to hijack a cargo ship headed to Egypt.
"Deterrence due to the presence of an international coalition of naval vessels also has significantly disrupted pirate operations," Foran said. At any given time, there are between 20 and 30 vessels from up to 20 nations engaged in anti-piracy patrols.
The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, established in January, serves as an informal venue for governments and organizations to share information about their progress in fighting piracy. More than 40 countries and international organizations are members. In May, the group created an international trust fund that will pay for the prosecution of suspected pirates and building regional capacities.
"The [Contact Group] has looked at impediments to the prosecution of pirates and is encouraging countries to change their laws if need be," Foran said. Most countries have laws that allow for the prosecution of pirates, but the greatest challenge is convincing governments to use these laws, he said.
Other challenges must be addressed, Foran said. Despite the availability of satellite technology, the expanse of the seas and small size of most pirate boats -- less than 10 meters -- make detection a challenge. It is also difficult to identify pirates on land and to determine who funds them.
The United States has been a part of the fight from the beginning -- by co-founding the Contact Group, by dispatching naval vessels to prevent attacks, and by encouraging ships to self-protect and discouraging concessions to hostage-takers, Foran said.
"We believe that the payment of ransom encourages pirates," Foran said. "Clearly, pirates are in it for the money. If companies stopped paying ransom, that would be a deterrent."
If the fight against piracy in this region is to continue to succeed in coming years, it will depend on what happens politically in Somalia, he said, and on that nation's ability to control criminal activity within its borders. "Our hope is that [in time] there will be a stable Somali government in control of its territory."
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