Page 18: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 2016)

MARITIME SECURITY

Modern Piracy & International Shipping ... the Challenge Continues

BY TOM BOWMAN ravelling by ship, whether for of the past, and modern Somali pirates have decreased, piracy is still rife, and Combating Pirates trade, exploration or war, has replete with assault ri? es and RPGs. has shifted to areas of increasing trade The most aggressive methods are of-

Tbeen one of the most important Both have been incredibly problem- and shipping. For example, there has ten seen as the most effective, as they parts of human history. As the global atic for international shipping, and their been a dramatic rise in Piracy in South are said to provide a more permanent economy progressed and developed, ubiquity is not unfounded; Somali based East Asia. Similarly, the scope of at- solution to piracy. This is not necessar- the importance of shipping skyrocketed. Piracy cost the international community tacks has widened, meaning pirates are ily true however, as attacks from pirates

While the advent of the car and plane over $6bn in 2012 alone. Somalia is not increasingly attacking any and all ships. continue to increase despite a more con- heralded new eras of transportation, the only source of Piracy either, and it is Surprisingly, even warships can be tar- certed global effort to combat it. Never- shipping has always been of vital impor- easy to see just how much these attacks geted, with pirates attacking two sepa- theless, having arms and armor available tance to humanity. Vessels have changed impact on world shipping. However, rate warships in 2010. to crews is a popular method of provid- dramatically over the years, but continue the past few years has seen a decrease As part of this increase in scope, at- ing security. The weapons used are not to be responsible for the bulk of interna- in Pirate attacks, and particularly in and tacks are becoming more and more necessarily lethal, however, and non-le- tional trade. However, piracy continues around Somalia. There are many reasons deadly, with Pirates increasingly using thal explosives for example have proven to be a major problem, and as developed for this, though one important cause is high-powered weapons. The ultimate to be effective in keeping pirates away in line with International Shipping. At- the increased reliance on Maritime Se- aim of any attack is to board the target, from ships. One of the more ‘fantastical’ tacks cost the international economy an curity. International Shipping makes up which happens in 75% of all attacks. The examples of non-lethal weaponry is the unparalleled amount of money, which 80% of all world trade, and so it is no methods used to stop this include ‘pas- Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), explains why crews and companies go to surprise that both pirates and Maritime sive’ methods that aim to make board- which uses focused sounds well above such lengths to protect themselves. Security Personnel are so common. Nev- ing physically impossible and more the human threshold to incapacitate po- ertheless, there are a variety of solutions aggressive solutions that directly com- tential attackers without any permanent

Modern Piracy and its Impact available to vessels and shipping crews, bat Pirates. These range from Private damage.

Piracy is synonymous with two imag- each with their own advantages and dis- Maritime Security, to advanced Acoustic One of the most common methods of es; swashbuckling, romanticized pirates advantages. While overall attacks may Weaponry. ? ghting piracy involves the employment

There are multiple methods to successfully thwart piracy, ranging from armed guards to less aggressive means, such as water hoses.

Body armor from SafeGuard 18 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JANUARY 2016

MR #1 (18-25).indd 18 1/6/2016 10:35:48 AM