Somali Counter-Piracy Operations: A Blueprint for Southeast Asia?

Abstract

Statistics released last month by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) shows a steady decline in pirate attacks from Somalia. Good news, of course, for the shipping industry and a welcome acknowledgment for the actors involved in fighting piracy in the Gulf of Aden. At the same time, we are witnessing an increase of piracy in Southeast Asia. Will the same counter-piracy methods employed in the Gulf of Aden assist in reducing piracy in Southeast Asia? 2011 proved to be a dramatic year for the shipping industry, with 237 actual and attempted attacks ascribed to Somali pirates, 2012 showed a remarkable decline of approximately 68%, to 75 actual and attempted attacks. In the first half of 2013 only eight attacks have been recorded. We can attribute the decline in piracy off the coast of Somalia to a mixture of counter-piracy methods. Somali pirates frequently travel far from the mainland, using 'mother boats' and skiffs to close in on their targets. Often armed with AK47s and RPGs, and potentially violent when approaching a ship, the pirates, when in charge, are not considered violent towards the crew - indeed, they need the crew (de Coster & Herbert, 'The Somali Piracy Model: Coming to a Sea Near You', WPR, February 2012). The pirates' aim is to hijack an entire ship, sail it back to Somali waters and demand ransom for its release. As of mid-August (2013), 4 vessels and 68 hostages are being held by Somali pirates according to the IMB.