Think Of Us Like a Coast Guard
Is it my imagination, or does it seem like every week or two, we hear a story of Somali Pirates that have commandeered another ship or boat in the Gulf of Aden? The Gulf of Aden is home to some very busy shipping lanes. Historically, piracy has been more of a problem closer to the coast of Somalia. But more recently, the attacks have become more sophisticated and more dispersed throughout the Gulf. Somalia’s government is not recognized by most Somalis and so is ineffective in stopping piracy, to say the least.
Gulf of Aden
Maritime insurance underwriters have designated the Gulf as a war zone and, as a consequence, the insurance costs for those passing through has skyrocketed.
The pirates do not appear to be very particular about the cargo aboard their targets. Most recently, it was crude oil. But in just the past couple of months, the pirates have commandeered ships laden with chemicals, salt, Russian tanks, palm oil, and - here’s the real puzzler - French people. In a recent interview, spokespirate Sugule Ali stated that the objective of the pirates is simply money. Sugule continues
Think of us like a coast guard.
Umm, a coast guard, right. Sugule, you should lay off the King Khat.
The pirates typically use small speedboats to approach and board their quarry. Operating further out in the Gulf, there are reports that the smaller boats are dispatched from “mother ships”. With some 20,000 vessels passing through the Gulf each year, it may be difficult to identify the “mother ships”. Despite these challenges, there is some evidence that the European Union, India, and others are beginning to track these bilge rats down. Aarrr!
Jack Sparrow. Aarrr!