Resources of the Week: Modern-Day Piracy
By Shirl Kennedy, Senior Editor
No, we’re not talking about downloading “illegal” media. We’re
talking about piracy on the high seas — something that has lately
bubbled to the surface in the news media. 2008 has been a good year for
pirates, judging by this Live Piracy Map from UK-based ICC Commercial Crime Services (CCS), the anti-crime arm of the International Chamber of Commerce.
This map shows all the piracy and armed robbery incidents reported to
the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre during 2008. If exact coordinates are
not provided, estimated positions are shown based on information
provided. Zoom-in and click on the pointers to view more information of
an individual attack. Pointers may be superimposed on each other.
IMB stands for International Maritime Bureau,
“a specialised division of the International Chamber Of
Commerce…established in 1981 to act as a focal point in the fight
against all types of maritime crime and malpractice.” The IMB’s Piracy Reporting Center is an excellent place to read up on the problem.
Before 1992, shipmasters and ship operators had nowhere to turn to when
their ships were attacked, robbed or hijacked either in port or out at
sea. Local law enforcement either turned a deaf ear, or chose to ignore
that there was a serious problem in their waters.
The International Maritime Bureau aware of the escalating level of
piracy, wanted to provide a free service to the seafarer and
established the 24 hour IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.
The main objective of the PRC is to be the first point of contact
for the shipmaster to report an actual or attempted attack or even
suspicious movements thus initiating the process of response.
The main aim of the PRC is to raise awareness within the shipping
industry, which includes the shipmaster, ship-owner, insurance
companies, traders, etc, of the areas of high risk associated with
piratical attacks or specific ports and anchorages associated with
armed robberies on board ships.
The PRC works closely with various governments and law enforcement
agencies and is involved in information sharing in an attempt to reduce
and ultimately eradicate this crime. Besides the piracy map, the agency
offers other current information, such as:
+ Weekly Piracy Report
+ Piracy Prone Areas and Warnings
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Over on the other side of the pond, you’ll find the United States Maritime Administration Advisories
Maritime Administration Advisories rapidly disseminate
information on maritime danger, safety, and government policy, and
other time sensitive matters pertaining to U.S.-flag vessel operations.
Maritime Administration Advisories are issued by the Office of Security
to vessel masters, ship operators, and other U.S. maritime interests.
Advisories are communicated via telex or other message formats, and
published on the Maritime Administration’s web site and the National
Imaging and Mapping Agency’s Weekly Notice to Mariners.
Also available: Worldwide Threats to Shipping Reports (National Geospatial Intelligence Agency)
–
Reports and other resources
+ Noonsite, which bills itself as “the global site for cruising sailors,” offers reports and links to piracy information.
+ Don’t overlook the State Department’s Current Travel Warnings if you’re planning to venture to someplace dicey — i.e., Somalia,
where you “are urged to use extreme caution…as merchant vessels,
fishing boats, and recreational craft all risk seizure by pirates and
having their crews held for ransom in the waters off the Horn of
Africa…”
+ House of Commons Library Standard Note SN/BT/3794, Shipping: piracy (PDF; 139 KB)
+ Increase In Piracy And Terrorism At Sea; Little Evidence Supports Fear That The Two Crimes Are Merging (RAND Corporation)
+ International Maritime Organization: Information resources on piracy and armed robbery at sea (November 2008) (PDF; 376 KB)
+ Peril on the High Seas (Economist.com)
+ Piracy in Somalia: Threatening global trade, feeding local wars (PDF; 820 KB) (Chatham House)
+ Piracy – Threat at sea: A risk analysis (PDF; 2.5 MB) (Munich Re)
+ Piracy attacks in the Malacca Strait (PDF; 1.1 MB) (South China Sea Research Guide/Middlebury College)
+ Weak States Off-Shore - Piracy in Modern Times (PDF; 225 KB) (Hanns Seidel Foundation, Kenya)
+ Various satellite maps of hijacked vessels (UNOSAT)
+ International Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea: 1997-2006 (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2008 Pocket Guide to Transportation)
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