When most people think of pirates, what comes to mind is swashbuckling, peg-legged tyrants who search for buried treasure and plunder sea ports and merchant vessels. As romantic as this vision is, the reality of piracy at sea is a much dirtier industry of people who, plagued by famine and poverty, turn to the criminal lifestyle. One of the best-known piracy spots is off the coast of Somalia, an impoverished and corrupted country in East Africa. Over the past two decades, the country has been a feeding ground for pirates preying on everything from the smallest fishing boat to the largest shipping vessel. And the threat is far from over.
Reaching its peak in 2010 with over 1,000 people taken hostage (Monks), Somali piracy has been in a decline over the past few years. Contributing to this is the intervention of various maritime and governmental forces, such as the European Union Naval Force and NATO (Monks). For the most part, the safety guidelines established by these groups, called the Best Management Practices or BMP4, have been successful at keeping sailors safe from attacks (Gardner). Yet despite the limited number of attacks in recent years, the dangers of piracy both remain present in Somalia, and possess the capability of becoming a dilemma once more.
In 2012, a German-American journalist named Michael Scott Moore was captured and held as a prisoner of Somali pirates for a total of 977 days. Through a self-published article, he recounts his experiences with the pirates, and reveals the cruel, torturous methods that pirates employ to get the information they want (Moore). His capture shows the true extent of the piracy, for if a regular journalist traveling to Somalia is captured only on the grounds that he is an American, is anyone truly safe from the pirates?
Although Moore was released from captivity roughly three and a half years ago, piracy still occurs in Somalia. A prime example is with the hijacking of the tanker Aris-13 in March, 2017. The crew of the vessel had decided to drive through a high-risk area, forgoing the BMP4 in favor of a quicker voyage (“Somalian”). This case exemplifies how the declining threat has led to increased complacency in preventative measures, which has left the path open for a new wave of attacks (Gardner). In addition, the United Nations Security Council believes it is entirely possible for piracy to return, stating in a report that “Somali pirates possess the intent and capability to resume attacks against large commercial ships” (Iaconangelo).
Contrary to the popular belief that Somali piracy was eradicated and is only now making a resurgence, it has actually been a persistent issue over the last few years. In 2016 alone, there were around 15 serious attacks off the Somali coast (Monks). Maisie Pigeon, a researcher with the organization Oceans Beyond Piracy, explains that, "In East Africa, the intent and capability to attack has never gone away. Now we're seeing opportunities return" (Monks). In addition to this still-remaining threat of pirates waiting for an opportunity to resume hijacking larger ships, attacks regularly occur on smaller fishing vessels, making piracy remain an imminent threat in Somalia (Iaconangelo).
The threat of piracy has most definitely declined since its peak, roughly eight years ago. However, it still remains an issue, and with the recent release of 120 ex-pirates from prison (“120”), the threat only seems to be escalating. With complacency and lack of interest, more and more opportunities are presenting themselves, simply waiting for the pirates to seize them and plunge the Somali coast back into chaos.
Reaching its peak in 2010 with over 1,000 people taken hostage (Monks), Somali piracy has been in a decline over the past few years. Contributing to this is the intervention of various maritime and governmental forces, such as the European Union Naval Force and NATO (Monks). For the most part, the safety guidelines established by these groups, called the Best Management Practices or BMP4, have been successful at keeping sailors safe from attacks (Gardner). Yet despite the limited number of attacks in recent years, the dangers of piracy both remain present in Somalia, and possess the capability of becoming a dilemma once more.
In 2012, a German-American journalist named Michael Scott Moore was captured and held as a prisoner of Somali pirates for a total of 977 days. Through a self-published article, he recounts his experiences with the pirates, and reveals the cruel, torturous methods that pirates employ to get the information they want (Moore). His capture shows the true extent of the piracy, for if a regular journalist traveling to Somalia is captured only on the grounds that he is an American, is anyone truly safe from the pirates?
Although Moore was released from captivity roughly three and a half years ago, piracy still occurs in Somalia. A prime example is with the hijacking of the tanker Aris-13 in March, 2017. The crew of the vessel had decided to drive through a high-risk area, forgoing the BMP4 in favor of a quicker voyage (“Somalian”). This case exemplifies how the declining threat has led to increased complacency in preventative measures, which has left the path open for a new wave of attacks (Gardner). In addition, the United Nations Security Council believes it is entirely possible for piracy to return, stating in a report that “Somali pirates possess the intent and capability to resume attacks against large commercial ships” (Iaconangelo).
Contrary to the popular belief that Somali piracy was eradicated and is only now making a resurgence, it has actually been a persistent issue over the last few years. In 2016 alone, there were around 15 serious attacks off the Somali coast (Monks). Maisie Pigeon, a researcher with the organization Oceans Beyond Piracy, explains that, "In East Africa, the intent and capability to attack has never gone away. Now we're seeing opportunities return" (Monks). In addition to this still-remaining threat of pirates waiting for an opportunity to resume hijacking larger ships, attacks regularly occur on smaller fishing vessels, making piracy remain an imminent threat in Somalia (Iaconangelo).
The threat of piracy has most definitely declined since its peak, roughly eight years ago. However, it still remains an issue, and with the recent release of 120 ex-pirates from prison (“120”), the threat only seems to be escalating. With complacency and lack of interest, more and more opportunities are presenting themselves, simply waiting for the pirates to seize them and plunge the Somali coast back into chaos.
Works Cited
Gardner, Frank. “Somalia Ship Hijack: Maritime Piracy Threatens to Return.” BBC News, BBC, 16 Mar. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39283911.
Gerome Ferris, Jean Leon. Capture of the Pirate Blackbeard. 1718, The Bridgeman Art Library.
Gerome Ferris, Jean Leon. Capture of the Pirate Blackbeard. 1718, The Bridgeman Art Library.
Iaconangelo, David. "Did piracy ever really go away in Somalia?" Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2017. http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A485514416/GIC u=los42754&xid=20dd29ab. Accessed 10 Mar. 2018.
Monks, Kieron. “Piracy Threat Returns to African Waters.” CNN, Cable News Network, 3 Jan. 2018, www.cnn.com/2017/05/25/africa/piracy-resurgence-somalia/index.html.
Moore, Michael Scott. “My 977 Days Held Hostage by Somali Pirates.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2 June 2015, www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/02/my-977-days-held-hostage-by-somali pirates.
"Somalian authorities tell Sri Lanka: HOPEFUL OF QUICK RELEASE OF ARIS 13 CREW." Daily News [Colombo, Sri Lanka], 17 Mar. 2017. Global Issues in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A486625254/GIC?u=los42754&xid=d09ee5bf.
“120 Somali 'Pirates' Freed from India.” Middle East Monitor, 5 Mar. 2018, www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180305-120-somali-pirates-freed-from-india/#.
My favorite part of your article is the hook. It really grabbed my attention because it really complimented my vision of what pirates are. But after reading this article, I never knew some still existed today, but even more dangerous than the ones in the past.
ReplyDeleteI loved your comparison of the stereotypical pirate to reality. It was interesting to read about real pirates, because I only have background knowledge based on fictional stories. My main take away was that pirates are not just make-believe characters searching for gold- they pose a real threat to society and can be extremely dangerous.
ReplyDeleteOne question that I had after reading was: How prevalent is piracy in other areas besides Somalia?
1) I loved your hook paragraph, comparing the pirates from the past to the present.
ReplyDelete2) My main take away was that pirates are a real threat and are steadily rising in numbers in Africa.
3) How do the pirates impact the Somalian economy?