Somali pirates once again defy international patrols

The Somali pirates are at it again, apparently taking advantage of good weather, and lackluster protection provided by international naval forces.  In the past 2 days, two European owned tankers have been seized by Somali pirates.

AFP provides the following details -

The Maritime Security Centre run by the EU naval force said that the 9,000-tonne Greek-owned, Panamanian-flagged M.V. Nipayia was seized on Wednesday with its crew of 19.

A Greek merchant marine ministry spokesman said the chemical tanker’s Russian captain and 18 Filipino crew members were in good health and that the boat’s owner, Lotus Shipping, had begun negotiations with the pirates.

Norwegian-owned and Bahamian-registered M.V. Bow-Asir

The incident was followed early on Thursday with the capture of the 23,000-tonne Norwegian-owned and Bahamian-registered M.V. Bow-Asir with an unspecified number of crew.

Salhus Shipping, which owns the tanker, said in a statement from Norway that the crew numbered 27 members of different nationalities and that they had contacted the company after 16 to 18 pirates came aboard with automatic weapons.

“We have no reports of any injuries,” said company director Per Hansen.

While 2008 saw a 200% increase in piracy from 2007, the international community is still grappling with responding to the increase in attacks and in particular what should be done with captured pirates.  In nearly every circumstance where suspected pirates have been captured by international forces, they have later been released, only to return to their profession of crime.  The framework of international law currently favors the pirates.  Unless a U.S. warship captures pirates attacking a U.S. flagged ship, prosecution of pirates within international law is nearly impossible.

To deal with the quasi nature of international law, the U.S. and the EU have turned to Kenya which borders Somalia.  Kenya has agreed to accept suspected pirates for prosecution under Kenyan law and within Kenyan courts.  This process has presented another complication for international entities trying to combat pirates – human rights.  Many human rights organizations are up in arms with the decision to allow prosecution of captured pirates within Kenya, citing poor conditions within prisons, and harsh punishment administered by Kenyan prison guard.

There are certainly many chapters left in this story, and I will be certain to follow them closely here at The Maritime.

For some additional reading on this topic, here are some good articles:

Armed Forces Journal “Fighting Piracy” – an excellent and detailed article worth a look.

BBC News Special Report – “What to do with a captured pirate”