Ap Govt Issues
MARITIME PIRACY
Unlike most of the other organized crime problems discussed in this report, maritime piracy is not a trafficking issue. No contraband is moved, no illicit market serviced. Rather, it is a violent, acquisitive crime.1 It is transnational because a ship is considered the sovereign territory of the nation whose flag she flies.2 It is organized because commandeering a ship at sea requires considerable planning and some specialized expertise.
The following chapter focuses on just one piracy problem: that found off the coast of Somalia, especially in the Gulf of Aden. This area has seen the largest share of global piracy attacks in recent years, and the problem appears to be growing. Somalia is not the only area of the world affected by maritime piracy, however. The Gulf of Guinea in West Africa has long been a high risk area, as are the waters along Bangladesh and the South China Sea. But in 2009, more than half the global piracy attacks were ascribed to Somali pirates. Until recently, piracy was a phenomenon in decline. Twenty-first century piracy was first seen in the South China Sea and in the Malacca Straits. 3 Attacks peaked at roughly 350 to 450 reported attacks per year during the period 2000-2004, and then dropped by almost half in 2005.4 This reduction was attributed to effective and coordinated international action against the pirates. But in 20082009, piracy again skyrocketed, due almost entirely to the dramatic increase of piracy off the Coast of Somalia. Piracy is once again on the forefront of the international community’s attention, as maritime trade is threatened and ransom payments to Somali pirates have risen to the millions of dollars.
FIG. 155: LOCATIONS OF ALL REPORTED PIRACY ATTACKS, 2000-2009
500
Total number of attacks
400 300 200 100 0
Somalia/Gulf of Aden Rest of world
The term “piracy” encompasses two distinct sorts of offences: the first is robbery or hijacking, where the target of the attack is to steal a
Unlike most of the other organized crime problems discussed in this report, maritime piracy is not a trafficking issue. No contraband is moved, no illicit market serviced. Rather, it is a violent, acquisitive crime.1 It is transnational because a ship is considered the sovereign territory of the nation whose flag she flies.2 It is organized because commandeering a ship at sea requires considerable planning and some specialized expertise.
The following chapter focuses on just one piracy problem: that found off the coast of Somalia, especially in the Gulf of Aden. This area has seen the largest share of global piracy attacks in recent years, and the problem appears to be growing. Somalia is not the only area of the world affected by maritime piracy, however. The Gulf of Guinea in West Africa has long been a high risk area, as are the waters along Bangladesh and the South China Sea. But in 2009, more than half the global piracy attacks were ascribed to Somali pirates. Until recently, piracy was a phenomenon in decline. Twenty-first century piracy was first seen in the South China Sea and in the Malacca Straits. 3 Attacks peaked at roughly 350 to 450 reported attacks per year during the period 2000-2004, and then dropped by almost half in 2005.4 This reduction was attributed to effective and coordinated international action against the pirates. But in 20082009, piracy again skyrocketed, due almost entirely to the dramatic increase of piracy off the Coast of Somalia. Piracy is once again on the forefront of the international community’s attention, as maritime trade is threatened and ransom payments to Somali pirates have risen to the millions of dollars.
FIG. 155: LOCATIONS OF ALL REPORTED PIRACY ATTACKS, 2000-2009
500
Total number of attacks
400 300 200 100 0
Somalia/Gulf of Aden Rest of world
The term “piracy” encompasses two distinct sorts of offences: the first is robbery or hijacking, where the target of the attack is to steal a