fighting piracy;

WORLDWIDE PIRACY SITUATION

The growth of piracy in the Somali Basin since the turn of the century demonstrates how much this problem has turned into a global menace.

In the past 30 years, the maritime community witnessed more than 3,500 piratical attacks worldwide.

WORLDWIDE PIRACY SITUATIONA. Horn of Africa

A. Horn of Africa


A. Horn of Africa

At the close of 2011, a decline in piracy attacks reportedWORLDWIDE PIRACY SITUATION

A. Horn of Africa

Decline could be seen as a vindication of the international naval presence in piracy hotspots, particularly the Gulf of AdenWORLDWIDE PIRACY SITUATION

A. Horn of Africa

UNSC extended range of multinational anti-piracy efforts towards Somalias coastal waters and even towards parts of its land drastically reduced the pirates safe haven for escape


A. Horn of Africa


B. West Africa


B. West Africa

WORLDWIDE PIRACY SITUATIONA UN Office on Drugs and Crime report said that pirates now have taken control over coastal areas in Benin, the small nation that borders Nigeria and Togo.

B. West Africa

WORLDWIDE PIRACY SITUATIONHijackings off West Africa, pirates are usually after the cargo rather than ransom money as is the case in Indian Ocean hijackings by Somali pirates.

C. Southeast Asia

Pirate attacks in SEA littoral states have increased. Attacks in May 2011 spiked the highest with 15 incidents. Attacks in SEA are lower than those off Somalia but there have recently been a few cases of hijacking and ransom. As Somalia shows, once pirates know their demands can be made without reprisals, the level of hijacking, kidnap and ransom will only increase. WORLDWIDE PIRACY SITUATION

C. Southeast Asia

Piracy in the region appears opportunistic, often theft from ships anchored in ports such as Jakarta in Java and Samarinda in Borneo.The Straits of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca used to be the most heavily attacked area, but the littoral countries coordinated piracy patrols reduce attacks.


C. Southeast Asia

Recently, SEA waters noted a sudden spur in pirate attacks.The IMB called on authorities and ships to be vigilant and sustain its strict anti-piracy watch. Pirates in Aceh revealed the emergence of new pirate criminal syndicates in the region.


IMPEDIMENTS TO FIGHTING PIRACY

IMPEDIMENTS TO FIGHTING PIRACY1. Political

Weak governance. The roots of piracy stem from the political insecurity that has plagued weak countries.Insurgency. Weak states have allowed a plethora of syndicates and even insurgent groups to flourish.Clan-based power groups. Piratical acts are carried out with the implicit cooperation of local power-brokers on land.Flawed legitimacy. Pirates justify piratical activities, and rationalize support for piratical activities, because of illegal fishing and alleged toxic dumping done off-shore.

2. Economic

No rewarding alternatives exist on land. Piracy is not a way of life in any Somali or Indonesian coastal village, but an income-generating industry that evolved because of the lack or absence of economic inputs critical to the development of said areas. Piracy-fuelled money laundering. A key driver in the rise of maritime piracy is the stability of business networks overseas that finance piracy operations, manage the cash flow in pirate-infested areas and into neighbouring countries and other distant points. IMPEDIMENTS TO FIGHTING PIRACY

3. Operational

Sustainability of counter-piracy forces. The size of pirate-infested waters presents a huge geographical challenge to counter-piracy operations.Flawed catch-and-release policy. Due to perceived legal uncertainties, many countries are not eager to prosecute pirates at their own courts.Rules on on-board weapons of ship security teams. The countries around the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea have not standardized their rules regarding bringing of weapons aboard merchant vessels into ports.IMPEDIMENTS TO FIGHTING PIRACY

PHILIPPINE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY

PHILIPPINE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY700,000 Filipinos seafarers crew merchant ships, manning at least 20% of international commercial vesselsEstimated 340,00 to 380,000 Filipino seafarers are aboard merchant ships that pass through the high risk areas of the Gulf of Aden and South China Sea chokepoints

PHL - 3rd largest source of seafarers

Contribute annually some US$ 10 billion to the countrys economy.769 Filipino sailors seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean (2006-2011)PHILIPPINE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY

PHL criminalizes piracy as an act of terrorism under Human Security ActPHL National Security Policy of 2011-2016 labeled maritime piracy as transnational crime that requires international cooperationConsider a US proposal to prosecute pirates under PHL jurisdictionGiven Manila-flagged merchant vessels the go-ahead to deploy private security groups


PHL and USA forged Memo of Cooperation on Maritime Counter-Piracy Training and EducationPHL government made arrangements with ships foreign principals and local manning agencies to travel along the IRTCEstablished National Coast Watch SystemSent a Liaison Navy Officer (LNO) to the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)Participate in the 70-nation Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.


It is incumbent on the Philippine government to fully cooperate with other governments and undertake proactive and reactive measures to minimize the exposure of Filipino seafarers to pirate attacks...

Assist in standardizing the training of crewsContinue to participate in the Contact Groups for Piracy in pirate-infested areasSeek ways to assist in prosecution of pirates with a nexus to the PhilippinesEnsure manning agencies are aware of Best Management PracticesJoin Combined Maritime ForcesPressure Flag States to enforce BMP compliance

CONCLUSION

End of Presentation

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fighting piracy;

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