In 2009, pirates attacked 214 vessels and held 58 Indians hostage. India’s government is suggesting that Indian shipowners adopt an “anti-piracy drill” and use private armed guards and decoy vessels to boost sailors’ security in deep waters.
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“They hunt like lions, seeking weak and vulnerable prey,” says Mainstone.
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Hmmm. Private armed guards and decoy vessels? Is someone in India reading FJ and getting some ideas? (Q ships come to mind) Especially if pirates keep mistakingly firing on massive warships–what idiots. lol
The new conclusions I have been coming up with for today’s piracy issues, is that pirates have discovered a modern day business model of piracy that works and is profitable. Remember, these guys are operating in an entirely free market with no restrictions what’s so ever. No laws, no borders, nothing. All that matters is going after the weakest prey, and feeding their pride.
What I mean by that is that pirates do answer to one group, and that is their investors. That widowed Somali in the village that offered up one RPG round to the cause, is the share holder that the company has to answer too. Take it a step further, and if jihadists invested in their seaborne business venture, they really need be paid back. The only thing that will stop this free market based criminal venture and war, is organized and violent men that makes that venture too much of a risk.
As it stands now, just paying off ransoms to these guys only feeds this piracy machine. The pirate companies that are the best at taking down ships, will get the most investments and attract the most qualified pirates. Everyone loves a winner. Those successful pirate companies will also infuse innovation into the piracy game, and everyone will aspire to be like them. They will copy their operations, their tactics, their boats, and everyone will fight to out do the other guy and get rich. That is the allure of piracy to the Somali.
Until that venture becomes a zero sum game to the Somali pirate, or any pirate, things will only get worse. And because Somalia is a failed state, there is nothing of risk for the pirate back home. In essence, they only have to risk the violence of the assault at sea, but as soon as they get that boat, they can bring it back home and they know that their government can’t do a thing about it.
With that said, arm the boats. There is a talent pool of capable folks that the Indian shipping industry can draw upon throughout the world and I say arm the boats. If shipowners want professionals, there are a number of ways to find them and get them on their boats. Believe me, if a company put up an ad for what exactly the Indian’s wanted on their boats, they would get a massive reply from my industry. I am sure there are security specialists in India that would jump all over that stuff too. Like I said, there would be no problem at all in contracting this out and getting good people on your boats.
Shipowners can also draw up some excellent contracts, based on all the lessons learned from today’s conflicts. There is no excuse for writing a poor contract, or not moderating the contracts properly. There are plenty of mechanism that you could put into a contract these days in order to insure that you get a good service as well.
Most of all though, you have to decide how much you are willing to pay for such a thing? In my view, if you pay peanuts you will get monkeys. How important is your boat and the safety of your crew and what are you willing to pay to insure their safety? Or you can continue to pay ransoms or what I call ‘the pirate’s salary’. Not to mention that premiums will only go lower as less boats/hostages get taken and the insurance companies recognize the value of your security measures. –Matt
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India shipping firms seek new anti-pirate strategy
By Salil Panchal
April 11, 2010
MUMBAI — Alarmed by a big jump in pirate attacks, India’s shipping industry says it needs a new security strategy to safeguard vessels in the dangerous waters off Somalia’s lawless coast.
At least 95 Indian sailors are still being held by Somali pirates after they seized nine small ships in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa late last month, the Indian government says.
The attacks, targeting one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes, were the latest in a string on Indian vessels in which dhows — slow-moving, mechanised boats — have been among the most vulnerable.
“(Dhow) piracy is becoming a major problem,” said Captain Harish Khatri, India’s deputy director general of shipping who attended an anti-piracy conference last week in Mumbai.