Practical Piracy

Arrrr You Informed

About the Modern Quest

For Gold?

Piracy can be defined as robbery or hijacking aboard a ship, and people who partake in piracy are

known as pirates. Piracy is a dangerous crime that affects many product transportation vessels

around the world.

So why is this an issue?

SO WHAT EXACTLY IS PIRACY?

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN? People usually become pirates to gain money because issues within politics or the economy severely hurt the country,

and piracy is taken as their last resort. Main causes for some people to start using piracy would be poverty and

pollution.

Poverty- Many people are forced to live in poor conditions because they do not have the money to strongly

support themselves in society. Some people need to find a way to survive and find stable footing.

Pollution- Coastal regions use the sea for fishing. If pollution pushes the fish away, then the coastal regions lose

a major export and therefore their economy drops.

Piracy causes damage to transporting vessels and countries face losses in

product shipping. Piracy also jeopardizes crew members on boats and cruises.

Shipping industries take a huge hit from seafaring robbers.

The estimated annual loss due to piracy worldwide is about $13 to $16 billion. Unfortunately, most

carriers decide not to report piracy incidents due to the financial burden. When an incident of piracy is

reported, ship owners experience insurance rates that can increase by as much as 30% as well as the

daily loss incurred during an investigation that can often run about $1000 a day.

With the recent news about the pirate capture off Somalia, it may appear to some that modern pirates

are isolated to this geographic area. While the political upheaval in Somalia does provide an ideal,

lawless hideout for

pirates, the fact is

pirates are often found

in many places around

the globe. Some areas

most frequented by

pirates include the Red

Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the waters of Indonesia and Singapore.

Many modern pirates have heavy-duty firepower, including

automatic weapons, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades.

Pirates are also often equipped with cell phones and other tech

gadgets to keep in contact with organizers who feed them

information about ships and their locations. Many pirates’

weapons are specialized to their geographic location, with the

most dangerous usually being in the South China Sea and

Somalia.

DID YOU KNOW?

What do pirates do?

Where is it?

So where is this happening?

Somalia has been around since ancient times

with cave paintings dated around 9000 B.C.

and gone through many wars and

advancements, it is now is terrorized by

pirates.

Location: Somalia, situated in the Horn of

Africa, lies along the Gulf of Aden and the

Indian Ocean. Capital: Mogadishu.

Population (2010 est.): 10,112,453 (growth

rate: 2.8%); birth rate: 43.3/1000; infant

mortality rate: 107.4/1000; life expectancy:

50; density per sq mi: 38

Hijackings off the Somali coast have pushed

piracy to its highest levels since an international

agency began keeping statistics in 1991. Piracy

incidents off the Somali coast peaked in

September 2008 with 19 attacks

FACTS!

Worldwide Incidents: (as of 8 February 2011)

Total Attacks Worldwide: 58 Total Hijackings Worldwide: 7

Incidents Reported for Somalia: Total Incidents: 45 Total Hijackings: 8 Total Hostages : 169

1) Ensure safe passage for humanitarian aid. 2) Introduce a U.N. resolution banning the dumping chemical waste in Somali waters and banning the illegal hyper-fishing off of the Somali coast 3) Introduce a U.N. resolution that mandates a massive international effort to clean the countless barrels and containers of radioactive materials dumped in Somali waters 4) Sign a security treaty with the Somali unity government. This would not only mark the first time the United States signed any treaty with Somalia, but it would send a peace message to the rest of the Muslim world that America is indeed ready to establish formal relationship with anyone on issues of mutual interest. 5) Help build a Somali navy to protect its own waters. 6) Use legal actions in order to freeze and confiscate assets. Any military actions are just belligerent and would egg on the pirates

Where is this happening (cont’)

A California couple sailing

around the world and giving

out Bibles were hijacked by

Somali pirates last week –

then killed along with

another couple as gunfire

broke out between the U.S.

Navy and their captors on

Tuesday, according to the

U.S. military. Jean and Scott Adam, from Southern California, and

Phyllis Mackay and Robert A. Riggle, from Seattle,

were sailing the Arabian Sea, hundreds of miles off

the coast of Oman, aboard a boat called the Quest.

Their journey was part of an around-the-world

expedition organized by Blue Water Rallies, whose

organizers say the Quest broke off from the group on

Feb. 15, taking an alternative route to Oman after

leaving Mumbai. For a solution to the piracy dilemma,

people should seek a higher power such as the

president. Sending letters to congress in regards to

piracy, ask the Obama administration to:

Somali Pirates kill American Hostages

Four Americans, Phyllis Macay and Robert along with Jean and Scott Adam, were

sailing the world to distribute bibles and were taken hostage and killed by Somali

pirates.

When the United States came to the ship and took it over two pirates we’re already

dead. How they died is still unknown.

Thirteen additional pirates have been detained after they became violent and began

shooting at the United States Forces.

The 2 deaths mark the first time that pirates have been killed in any raids of American

ships.

They believe that nineteen pirates were involved in the raid of the yacht.

It is also thought that the pirates had a mother ship around one-hundred and ninety miles

off the Oman coast.

Pirates hijacked vessel carrying seven Danish people, three of which

were children.

United States vessels arrived at the scene along with Danish naval

ships.

Governments are now trying to warn people when passing through

the Arabian Sea to stay on typical ship lanes because of the scares

from the pirate attack.

In 2007, five men were taken hostage for 83 days by pirates

The pirates have began to make themselves more known and more

violent as they take their hostages in the seas.

In conclusion, the threat of modern piracy is a growing matter in the seas of our world society. With a bit more water patrolling, we can fight and end today’s practical piracy.

For more information, please visit these

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/07/060

706-modern-pirates.html

http://people.howstuffworks.com/pirate5.htm

http://www.thewayofthepirates.com/history-of-

piracy/modern-piracy.php