Guest Vocals: Piracy - Enough is Enough
Steven Jones of the Nautical Institute tells Shipping Times that more needs to be done by politicians and of the need to address the effects of pirate attacks

We have recently seen unprecedented activity in the fight against piracy, with the International Maritime Organization asking Somalia’s transitional Federal government to allow NATO naval ships into its territorial waters, and the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) rolling out another reporting service.

While these current efforts are to be applauded, we still need more and we urge the creation of support networks for victims of maritime crime. With piracy so often perceived as a distant crime involving “someone else’s” crew, cargo or ship, it is vital that we are able to unite to give the problem the scale and place it deserves on the world political agenda.

The world’s Navies are often touted as an answer, and they have had successes. However without a mandate from politicians to continue and expand the fight, then their hands are bound, This political will is something which can only be achieved if we, the industry, are able to stand united and are able to stress to the public the importance of maritime security on their everyday lives, jobs and trade.

If there is to be any real progress in the fight against piracy then it is vital that all across the industry speak out in an educated and realistic voice, in order to prick the conscience of those in power. If people, (the voters), recognise the role of maritime security in ensuring food on the shelves, and energy into their homes then the investment, resources and determination to continue the fight may become a reality.

Talk of injured or murdered seafarers; while an anathema for us in the industry does not unduly concern politicians, but when the talk is of damage to the economy and trade, and the issue of energy security then there is a chance that those in power may just take notice.

Another major concern voiced is of the increasing prevalence of kidnapping for ransom by many pirate gangs. As the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has been quick to stress, there may be a downward trend in the number of attacks, but there is a strong upward movement in the voracity and violence used.

People and vessels are becoming currency, and off the coasts of Somalia and Nigeria the taking of entire ships and their crews is becoming worryingly commonplace.

Piracy is about people, the seafarers themselves, and it is vital that the human element of this threat is not forgotten. We need to ensure that the steps taken to quash piracy and maritime crime are paralleled with efforts to ensure that crews are supported in the aftermath. Too many victims are simply sent home and left to “deal with it”, with little time or effort made to rehabilitate or counsel the victims.

This cannot be the right thing for the people, or for the business. A vessel left under the control of a Master with undiagnosed “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” is a real concern, and companies must do more to assess the psychological damage caused and how to relieve it.

It is imperative that operators understand the complex relationship they have with freed hostages and should have a policy to help close the incident out. It would pose very interesting liability and seaworthiness issues if a vessel were to have a subsequent accident in the wake of a pirate attack/kidnapping, and it was to emerge that the Master and officers were operating the vessel under undue psychological stress.

We need to stand up and say that “enough is enough”, The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has done a fantastic job of raising awareness of the problem, but quashing piracy is not just about counting. It is useful to remind oneself of the statistics, but it is important to take the right steps to then protect people, shipping and trade, regardless of what the figures say.

The problems of piracy do not start when someone clambers up a rope onto the deck, and do not finish when the attacker’s speedboat accelerates from the stern. We need a new dynamic and aggressive regime – one that supports victims, systematically removes the ignorance and poverty of those who attack ships, and which removes all incentives for the criminal gangs who see shipping as a soft target.

Steven Jones
Communications Manager
The Nautical Institute