By John C. Payne
From Baird Maritime:
Pirates, like the poor, have always been with us. They have changed their techniques and tactics but ships, yachts and boats have always provided easy targets. They probably always will.
While navies, coast guards and police have occasional success against pirates, their activity continues here and there around the world. The most recent "hot spots" of pirate activity have been Somalia, Nigeria, the Malacca Straits, Sulu Sea and Equador.
Motivations, the author tells us, are mostly either poverty or opportunity. Sometimes both. Piracy mostly flourishes where there is a vacuum in the rule of law. Even off Somalia, the risks are substantial but the rewards more so.
The author, who is an experienced and well-travelled marine engineer, describes the modern "profession" of piracy. It has now also become almost a standard expense item in the shipping business. Most government responses are ineffectual.
Against this discouraging background the author gives sound advice as to how to avoid pirates and of how to deal with them if you can't avoid them.
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