Overview of Somali Piracy Impacts on Maritime Industry and International Response

Aly ElmaghawryMaritime safety programs

AASTMTAlexandria

October 2009E mail elmaghawry2@hotmail.com

Tel: +0101668115

Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport

Introduction

Pirates activities off the coast of Somalia are growing at an alarming rate, threaten the safety and security of

international shipping, it has reached unprecedented levels during the past two years, threatening one of the most important maritime routes in the world, the Gulf

of Aden, which is the primary trade route between Asia and Europe because it is the shortest and most

economical trade route.

Outcomes • Factors facilitating Somali piracy• Somalia piracy statistics

– Actual and attempted attacks in Somalia and Gulf of Aden from 2004 to 2008

– Type of attacks in Somalia and Gulf of Aden 2008– Type of violence to crew, 2008– Somali piracy statistics 2009 (January to June)

• Impacts of Somali piracy– National impacts – Regional impacts – International impacts

• International response to deter Somali piracy• Conclusion

Factors facilitating Somali piracy

The reasons of piracy are complicated, the causes in one country may not reflect the same in another, the

motivation of piracy is different from state to state and from region to region.

The main reason of piracy in Somalia is the lack of effective government in Somalia since President Siad

Barre was overthrown in 1991

Somalia piracy statistics

Actual and attempted attacks in Somalia and Gulf of Aden from 2004 to 2008

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Gulf of Aden 8 10 10 13 92

Somalia 2 35 10 31 19

Total 10 45 20 44 111

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Data obtained from IMB piracy report 2008

Type of attacks in Somalia and Gulf of Aden 2008

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

GOA 2 32 31 27

Somalia 0 10 8 1

Total 2 42 39 28

Boarded Hijacked Fired Upon Attempted Boarding

Data obtained from IMB piracy report 2008

Type of violence to crew, 2008

0

200

400

600

800

1000

GOA 629 2 3 14 0

Somalia 186 0 1 0 3

Total 815 2 4 14 3

Taken Hostage

Crew Injured Crew KilledCrew

MissingCrew Kidnap

Data obtained from IMB piracy report 2008

Somali piracy statistics 2009 (January to June)

1

1

2

14

44

86

0 20 40 60 80 100

Indian ocean

Arabian sea

Oman

Red Sea

Coasts off Somalia

Gulf of Aden

Data obtained from IMB piracy report January-June 2009

Impacts of Somali piracy

Pirates activities off the coast of Somalia are growing at an alarming rate, threaten the safety and security of

international shipping, and present impacts not only on Somalia but also on regional states and on

international level.

National impacts

• Economic revenues

• Humanitarian assistance

Regional impacts

• Gulf of Aden

• Red sea

• Gulf of Suez

• Gulf of Aqaba

International impacts

• Ports and terminals

• Cargo owners

• Consumers

• Insurance companies

• Shipping companies

International response to deter Somali piracy

• United nation security council (UNSC)

• International maritime organization (IMO)

• Other maritime organizations

• Deployments of naval forces

Conclusion

1. Somali piracy had been facilitated by the lack of state authority and law enforcement.

2. Increasing piracy activities off the coasts of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden is an alarming rate even with the presents of naval forces.

3. Act of Somalia piracy have affected the country mainly on the economic level and on the humanitarian assistance.

4. Act of Somalia piracy have a direct threat into the region of Gulf of Aden, red sea, the Gulf of Suez, and the Gulf of Aqaba.

5. Somalia piracies have direct and indirect impacts on the maritime industry especially on shipping companies.

6. Fights against Somali piracy can only be don by gathering the efforts hand on hand in international level.

Thank you

For your attention