Maritime piracy is not surprising at all. Maritime hijacking occurs in many places across the world — though the extent of it has been on the decline greatly for several decades — leading to concerns. Some notable maritime piracies in the 2000s include the hijacking of the MT Zafirah by Indonesian pirates in the South China Sea in 2012, the hijacking of the MT Orkim Harmony off the coast of Malaysia in 2015 and the seizure of the Aris 13 off the coast of Somalia in 2017. Very recently, according to multiple sources including the Independent and Al Jazeera, a Bangladeshi-flagged cargo ship MV Abdullah with a twenty-three-member crew was kidnapped by Somali pirates off the Coast of Somalia.
It is notable that there are security based and other factors that facilitate maritime piracy, which pose a significant threat to global trade and the safety of seafarers. Weak maritime security measures, political instability and the presence of armed conflicts in nearby regions are some notable causes. High unemployment rates among coastal communities, economic desperation, easy access to weapons and support from powerful groups are also some crucial causes of maritime piracy, which aims at ransom-seeking. For instance, conflicts, easy access to weapons and a lack of security measures, along with some other causes, often lead to ship hijackings off the coast of Somalia, one of the most dangerous areas of maritime piracy. In some regions, maritime piracy is also fueled by the presence of valuable natural resources that attract criminal organizations seeking to profit from illegal activities at sea.
Different steps have been taken that led to the remarkable reduction of maritime piracy, which involves the acts of hijacking ships, stealing cargo or kidnapping crew members for ransom at oceans. Naval patrols in high-risk areas have increased, stricter regulations on shipping companies are implemented to improve security measures on vessels and collaboration with international organizations has increased to share intelligence and coordinate anti-piracy efforts. Additionally, rescue operations are often carried out. For instance, Indian naval forces rescued two hijacked vessels off the Coast of Somalia in January this year. Among others, some countries have focused on addressing the root causes of piracy by investing in economic development and poverty alleviation in coastal communities, vulnerable to criminal activities.
But there are flaws in the national and international steps, leading to the ineffectiveness of efforts to end maritime piracy. Importantly, there is a lack of coordination among agencies, insufficient resource allocations to enforcement efforts and limited international cooperation in sharing intelligence and resources — needed to successfully combat piracy. Additionally, there are insufficient legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms to prosecute pirates and deter piracy and the presence of corrupt officials within maritime law enforcement agencies, hindering the progress in successfully combating piracy in many areas. The limited capacity and resources of many coastal states to patrol and secure their maritime borders effectively also put hindrances to the efforts.
But effective steps need to be taken to combat maritime piracy. For this, enhancing maritime law enforcement capabilities through increased patrols and surveillance in high-risk areas such as the Gulf of Guinea, the Strait of Malacca and the Coast of Somalia, improving intelligence sharing and prosecuting pirates are definitely crucial steps to combat maritime piracy. Additionally, implementing security measures on ships including armed guards and securing effective communication systems and safe rooms for crew members can help prevent piracy incidents at oceans. Improving the capacity to effectively respond to ocean piracy incidents and putting emphasis on effective rescue operations are vital.
Strengthening international support for anti-piracy initiatives is vital to address the gaps in surveillance, response capabilities and victim assistance programs. But addressing the root causes of piracy such as poverty, unemployment and political instability in affected regions may also be helpful many times in successfully combatting maritime piracy. Additionally, increasing public awareness campaigns about the dangers of piracy in high-risk areas and how individuals can help prevent may be helpful.
