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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
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Results for piracy/pirates
43 results foundAuthor: Basciano, Tiffany Title: Contemporary Piracy: Consequences and Cures: A Post-Workshop Report Summary: This report presents the findings of a discussion that explored the critical issue of armed piracy off the coast of Somalia. The discussion focused on the underlying causes of Somali piracy and on the policy options for eradicating or mitigating this criminal activity. Details: Washington, DC: American Bar Association, Standing Committee on Law and National Security Source: Internet Resource Year: 0 Country: Somalia URL: Shelf Number: 117766 Keywords: Hijacking of ShipsPiracy/Pirates |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Title: Crime and Instability: Case Studies of Transnational Threats Summary: This report looks at the relationship between organized crime and instability: how illicit commodities usually originate in trouble spots, are then trafficked through vulnerable regions, to affluent markets. It focuses in particular on the impact of drug flows (cocaine and heroin), as well as piracy around the Horn of Africa, and the impact of minerals smuggling on Central Africa. Details: Vienna: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2010. 59p. Source: Year: 2010 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 117626 Keywords: Drug TraffickingPiracy/PiratesSmuggling |
Author: Fouche, Henri Title: Policing piracy and armed robbery of ships in South Africa's territorial waters and contiguous zone. Summary: This dissertation focuses on the policing of piracy and armed robbery against ships in South Africa's territorial waters and continguous zone. The study examines the phenomena not only in South Africa but throughout the African region, because piracy is a transnational crime which constitutes a security threat to the entire African continent. The nature and extent of piracy and armed robbery is determined as well as the consequences thereof on South African national interest. The meaning and nature of policing is examined and the effect of prevailing policing procedure, legislating, enforcing, preventing and partnershipping in the policing of piracy and armed robbery is analyzed. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Faculty of Humanities, Tshwane University of Technology, 2006, 253p. Source: Doctoral Dissertation Year: 2006 Country: South Africa URL: Shelf Number: 117599 Keywords: AfricaArmed Robbery Against ShipsLegislationPiracy/PiratesPolicing |
Author: Vignard, Kerstin Title: Maritime Security Summary: This issue focuses on maritime security — a multifaceted and complex topic that touches on some of the most critical security challenges of the moment. Armed non-state actors are exploiting busy shipping lanes for piracy and, some fear, for terrorist purposes. In this regard, there is rising concern about the security of sensitive materials in transit by sea. This issue of Disarmament Forum examines how these maritime security risks are being addressed. It explores efforts to minimize risks of WMD proliferation through regional and international cooperation at sea, for example, the Proliferation Security Initiative. It considers the extent of the threat posed by pirates and other non-state actors at sea—with a particular emphasis on the security of maritime shipping of sensitive materials. Details: Geneva: United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, 2010. 53p. Source: Internet Resource; Disarmament Forum, No. 2 Year: 2010 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 119467 Keywords: Maritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesPiratesTerrorism |
Author: Lennox, Patrick Title: Contemporary Piracy Off the Horn of Africa Summary: There were 115 reported pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia in 2008. Of those attacks, 46 were converted into the seizure of a commercial vessel by Somali pirates. The average ransom for the release of hijacked vessels increased from $1 million US dollars in July of 2008, to $1.5 million by December. At the time of writing 12 vessels are being held along with approximately 200 crew members in pirate towns along Somalia’s unlawful coasts. The Gulf of Aden (GOA), where most of the attacks have occurred, and through which 20,000 commercial vessels transit each year, is slowly being choked off as a viable shipping route. More and more shipping companies are opting to take the long route around the Cape of Good Hope rather than risk an attack or a hijacking, and insurance rates for vessels transiting the GOA have increased ten-fold in the last four months. Despite the increased presence of warships in the GOA in recent months, Somali piracy is escalating and will get worse before it gets better. As Somalia fails more and more spectacularly as a state, the size, value and number of the ships Somali pirates seize can be expected to grow along with the complexity of the pirate network, the sophistication of their weapons, crafts, and techniques, and the number of functional pirates. Essentially rational actors operating in pursuit of their own survival and self-interest and not in pursuit of a ideologically inspired fundamentalist aims, Somali pirates can be expected to adapt their tactics to international responses, and continue to ply their trade until the risks of doing so outweigh the rewards. The range of criminal activities involving the unruly maritime regions of the Somali peninsula can be expected to grow. The unfortunate and potentially unintentional future outcome of such a growing diversity of criminal activity is that it might not be long before the line between pirate attack and terrorist attack is crossed, resulting in significant human and ecological casualties. The coordinated international response to this issue is escalating in tandem with the escalation of Somali piracy. Currently, twenty warships from fourteen nations patrol off the Horn of Africa. However, as this paper will make clear, Somali piracy is directly tied to the failure of the Somali state. Accordingly, any comprehensive solution to the problem will have to involve ground operations to stabilize the country itself, as well as to unsettle pirate sanctuaries and destroy pirate infrastructure. Details: Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute, 2008. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 19, 2010 at: http://www.cdfai.org/PDF/Contemporary%20Piracy%20off%20the%20Horn%20of%20Africa.pdf Year: 2008 Country: International URL: http://www.cdfai.org/PDF/Contemporary%20Piracy%20off%20the%20Horn%20of%20Africa.pdf Shelf Number: 118802 Keywords: Maritime CrimePiracy/PiratesPirates |
Author: Middleton, Roger Title: Piracy in Somalia: Threatening Global Trade, Feeding Local Wars Summary: Piracy off the coast of Somalia has more than doubled in 2008; so far over 60 ships have been attacked. Pirates are regularly demanding and receiving million-dollar ransom payments and are becoming more aggressive and assertive. The international community must be aware of the danger that Somali pirates could become agents of international terrorist networks. Already money from ransoms is helping to pay for the war in Somalia, including funds to the US terror-listed Al-Shabaab. The high level of piracy is making aid deliveries to drought-stricken Somalia ever more difficult and costly. The World Food Programme has already been forced to temporarily suspend food deliveries. Canada is now escorting WFP deliveries but there are no plans in place to replace their escort when it finishes later this year. The danger and cost of piracy (insurance premiums for the Gulf of Aden have increased tenfold) mean that shipping could be forced to avoid the Gulf of Aden/Suez Canal and divert around the Cape of Good Hope. This would add considerably to the costs of manufactured goods and oil from Asia and the Middle East. At a time of high inflationary pressures, this should be of grave concern. Piracy could cause a major environmental disaster in the Gulf of Aden if a tanker is sunk or run aground or set on fire. The use of ever more powerful weaponry makes this increasingly likely. There are a number of options for the international community but ignoring the problem is not one of them. It must ensure that WFP deliveries are protected and that gaps in supply do not occur. Details: London: Chatham House, 2008. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing Paper: Accessed October 12, 2010 at: http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/12203_1008piracysomalia.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Somalia URL: http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/12203_1008piracysomalia.pdf Shelf Number: 119933 Keywords: Piracy/PiratesPirates |
Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office Title: Maritime Security: Actions Needed to Assess and Update Plan and Enhance Collaboration among Partners Involved in Countering Piracy off the Horn of Africa Summary: Somali pirates operating off the Horn of Africa have attacked more than 450 ships and taken nearly 2,400 hostages since 2007. A small number of U.S.-flagged vessels and ships have been among those affected. As Somalia lacks a functioning government and is unable to repress piracy in its waters, the National Security Council (NSC) developed the interagency Countering Piracy off the Horn of Africa: Partnership and Action Plan (Action Plan) in December 2008 to prevent, disrupt, and prosecute piracy off the Horn of Africa in collaboration with international and industry partners. GAO was asked to evaluate the extent to which U.S. agencies (1) have implemented the plan, and any challenges they face in doing so, and (2) have collaborated with partners in counterpiracy efforts. GAO examined counterpiracy plans, activities, collaborative practices, and data, and interviewed industry and international partners and officials at U.S. agencies and the Combined Maritime Forces in Bahrain. The U.S. government has made progress in implementing its Action Plan, in collaboration with international and industry partners, but pirates have adapted their tactics and expanded their area of operations, almost doubling the number of reported attacks from 2008 to 2009, and the U.S. government has yet to evaluate the costs, benefits, or effectiveness of its efforts or update its plan accordingly. The United States has advised industry partners on self-protection measures, contributed leadership and assets to an international coalition patrolling pirate-infested waters, and concluded prosecution arrangements with Kenya and the Seychelles. Officials credit collaborative efforts with reducing the pirates' rate of success in boarding ships and hijacking vessels in 2009. However, from 2007 to 2009, the most recent year for which complete data were available, the total number of hijackings reported to the International Maritime Bureau increased, ransoms paid by the shipping industry increased sharply, and attacks spread from the heavily patrolled Gulf of Aden--the focus of the Action Plan--to the vast Indian Ocean. The Action Plan's objective is to repress piracy as effectively as possible, but the effectiveness of U.S. resources applied to counterpiracy is unclear because the interagency group responsible for monitoring the Action Plan's implementation has not tracked the cost of U.S. activities--such as operating ships and aircraft and prosecuting suspected pirates--nor systematically evaluated the relative benefits or effectiveness of the Action Plan's tasks. GAO's prior work has shown that federal agencies engaged in collaborative efforts need to evaluate their activities to identify areas for improvement. Moreover, as pirates have adapted their tactics, the Action Plan has not been revised. Without a plan that reflects new developments and assesses the costs, benefits, and effectiveness of U.S. efforts, decision makers will lack information that could be used to target limited resources to provide the greatest benefit, commensurate with U.S. interests in the region. The U.S. government has collaborated with international and industry partners to counter piracy, but it has not implemented some key practices for enhancing and sustaining collaboration among U.S. agencies. According to U.S. and international stakeholders, the U.S. government has shared information with partners for military coordination. However, agencies have made less progress on several key efforts that involve multiple agencies--such as those to address piracy through strategic communications, disrupt pirate finances, and hold pirates accountable--in part because the Action Plan does not designate which agencies should lead or carry out 13 of the 14 tasks. For instance, the Departments of Defense, Justice, State, and the Treasury all collect information on pirate finances, but none has lead responsibility for analyzing that information to build a case against pirate leaders or financiers. The NSC, the President's principal arm for coordinating national security policy among government agencies, could bolster interagency collaboration and the U.S. contribution to counterpiracy efforts by clarifying agency roles and responsibilities and encouraging the agencies to develop joint guidance to implement their efforts. GAO recommends that the NSC reassess and update its Action Plan; identify metrics; assess the costs, benefits, and effectiveness of U.S. counterpiracy activities; and clarify agency roles and responsibilities. The NSC did not comment. The Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, State, Transportation, and the Treasury provided comments to clarify facts in the report. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2010. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-10-856: Accessed October 23, 2010 at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10856.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10856.pdf Shelf Number: 120061 Keywords: Maritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesPirates |
Author: Mason, R. Chuck Title: Piracy: A Legal Definition Summary: Pirate attacks in the waters off the Horn of Africa, including those on U.S.-flagged vessels, have brought continued U.S. and international attention to the long-standing problem of piracy in the region. The United States has been an active participant in piracy interdiction and prevention operations focusing on the Horn of Africa region. As part of piracy interdiction operations, the U.S. military has detained individuals accused of acts of piracy against U.S.-flagged vessels. In some instances these individuals have been released to return to land, while others have been brought to the United States for criminal prosecution in the federal courts. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power “To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations.” Since 1819, U.S. law has defined piracy not as a specific act, but rather “as defined by the law of nations.” Supreme Court decisions have upheld Congress’s power to define piracy in terms of the law of nations. Contemporary international agreements, including the Convention on the High Seas, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA Convention) address piracy. The United States is party to two of the agreements, and the third (UNCLOS) is generally accepted as reflecting customary international law. A recent development in a piracy trial in federal court in Norfolk, VA, has highlighted a potential limitation in the definition of piracy under the United States Code. In ruling on the defendant’s motion to dismiss, the court stated that the act of piracy, as defined by the law of nations, requires a robbery on the high seas. Thus, it appears that absent an actual robbery at sea, individuals may not be found guilty of the act of piracy under 18 U.S.C. § 1651, but may be tried for other offenses, including the offenses of attack to plunder a vessel, or committing violence against a person on a vessel. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2010. 7p. Source: Internet Resource: CRS Report for Congress, No. R41455: Accessed November 10, 2010 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41455.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41455.pdf Shelf Number: 120276 Keywords: Armed Robbery Against ShipsMaritime CrimePiracy/PiratesPirates |
Author: Gilpin, Raymond Title: Counting the Costs of Somali Piracy Summary: The upsurge in attacks by Somali pirates between 2005 and mid-2009 reflects decades of political unrest, maritime lawlessness and severe economic decline. Piracy has dire implications for economic development and political stability in Somalia, with economic prospects constrained, business confidence compromised and human security worsening. It could also have a destabilizing effect on global trade and security unless immediate steps are taken to craft a coordinated strategy to address the complex factors that trigger and sustain crime and impunity on the high seas. However, poorly designed and implemented strategies could inadvertently strengthen the hand of extremists in and around Somalia. The Somali authorities and their international partners should plan for a sustained application of “smart power” by all stakeholders. This paper offers practical strategies to mitigate the rising costs of Somali piracy and lay the foundation for lasting peace. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2009. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper: Accessed November 27, 2010 at: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/1_0.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Somalia URL: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/1_0.pdf Shelf Number: 120282 Keywords: Armed Robbery Against ShipsCosts of CrimeMaritime CrimePiracy/PiratesPirates (Somalia) |
Author: Percy, Sarah Title: The Business of Piracy in Somalia Summary: This paper argues that contrary to conventional wisdom, Somali piracy is likely to increase if Somalia's domestic stability is improved, and that naval counter-piracy efforts had limited and unpredicted effects. To make this argument we analyze the underlying factors driving piracy off the coast of Somalia and examine the effectiveness of the international naval anti-piracy mission. We show that while the navies perform well with respect to their declared aims, they failed to resolve the piracy problem through 2009: pirates were not deterred from attacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and have expanded their operations in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. Evidence from domestic conditions in Somalia suggests that land-based approaches focusing on rebuilding state capabilities may also backfire as economic development and greater stability aid pirates. We examine the incentives of the various interest groups in the Gulf of Aden and conclude that the key players have an interest in the continuation of the piracy off Somalia, as long as violence does not escalate and ransoms remain at their current modest levels. Details: Berlin: German Institute for Economic Research, 2010. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper 1033: Accessed November 27, 2010 at: http://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.358500.de/dp1033.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Somalia URL: http://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.358500.de/dp1033.pdf Shelf Number: 120283 Keywords: Maritime CrimePiracy/PiratesPirates (Somalia) |
Author: King, Michael G., Jr. Title: Modern Piracy and Regional Security Cooperation in the Maritime Domain: The Middle East and Southeast Asia Summary: This thesis examines the development of cooperative maritime security efforts in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Recent regional efforts to combat maritime security threats in the Gulf of Aden have drawn comparisons to similar efforts undertaken in the Malacca Straits. However, such comparisons fail to address the unique nature of security cooperation in the Persian Gulf, specifically the necessity of external security support for states in the region. This thesis argues that despite similarities shared by the two regions, the states of the Persian Gulf must deal with issues of prioritization, regional animosities, and external dependence before they can attempt to develop cooperative maritime security arrangements akin to those existing in Southeast Asia. Success will require a concerted effort by these states as well as the realization, by the United States, that it is undermining effective security cooperation in the region. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2010. 117p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed November 27, 2010 at: http://edocs.nps.edu/npspubs/scholarly/theses/2010/Mar/10Mar_King.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://edocs.nps.edu/npspubs/scholarly/theses/2010/Mar/10Mar_King.pdf Shelf Number: 120284 Keywords: Maritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesPirates (Middle East - Southeast Asia) |
Author: Hansen, Stig Jarle Title: Piracy in the Greater Gulf of Aden: Myths, Misconception and Remedies Summary: This report explores several of the most commonly stated causes of Somali piracy, as well as the history and structure of Somali piracy, showing that piracy is rather a spatiotemporal and geographically constrained phenomenon than a general Somali phenomenon, which started after the collapse of Somalia in 1991. Solutions must take this into consideration, focus on local conditions in the pirate areas and the causes that made piracy explode, first in 2004-2005, and most recently in 2008 and onwards. Details: Oslo: Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research, 2009. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: NIBR Report 2009:29: Accessed November 27, 2010 at: http://www.nibr.no/uploads/publications/26b0226ad4177819779c2805e91c670d.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Somalia URL: http://www.nibr.no/uploads/publications/26b0226ad4177819779c2805e91c670d.pdf Shelf Number: 120285 Keywords: Maritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesPirates (Somalia) |
Author: Sorenson, Karl Title: State Failure on the High Seas -- Reviewing the Somali Piracy Summary: This report makes one cardinal claim: Somali piracy will not successfully be fought by only employing naval means. The reason for this is two-fold. First, the inherent structure of any systematic piracy, to which the Somali piracy belongs, makes it difficult to stop the practice by merely focusing on impeding pirate vessels. Piracy has always been in need of at least one safe port, from where it can seek refuge, refit, and, most importantly, unload and trade the loot. Second, the state of Somalia, with its disintegration in the south, uncertainty in Puntland and relative stability in Somaliland, makes it difficult, but not impossible, to successfully target the roots, or incentives, of piracy. The political situation in Somalia is dire, and it is difficult to decipher the connections between the different regions and the complex clan system. Details: Stockholm: FOI, Swedish Defence Research Agency, 2008. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: FOI Somalia Papers: Report 3: Accessed November 29, 2010 at: http://www.foi.se/upload/projects/Africa/FOI-R--2610.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Somalia URL: http://www.foi.se/upload/projects/Africa/FOI-R--2610.pdf Shelf Number: 120296 Keywords: Maritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesPirates |
Author: Arky, Aaron S. Title: Trading Nets for Guns: The Impact of Illegal Fishing on Piracy in Somalia Summary: Somali piracy reached a record high level in 2008, with 111 of the 293 worldwide attacks occurring in the waters surrounding Somalia. The incidence of piracy in Somali waters almost doubled in 2009, and the Somali share of total piracy attacks worldwide increased from under 40% to over 50%. Often overlooked is the initial upsurge in piracy, following the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, which contributed to a sharp increase in piracy in 2005 and again in 2008. This thesis addresses why this initial surge occurred when it did. This increase can be attributed to the transformation of the pirate business model from fishermen who started to defend themselves, to the organized crime that displaced them in 2004 due to the opportunistic behavior of warlords. A convergence of factors contributing to the conditions at the time of the tsunami had short-term effects in 2005 that were enough to provide a boost to the already increasing business model of piracy. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2010. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed December 2, 2010 at: http://www.hsdl.org/?view&doc=131926&coll=limited Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.hsdl.org/?view&doc=131926&coll=limited Shelf Number: 120362 Keywords: Illegal FishingMaritime CrimeOffenses Against the EnvironmentOrganized CrimePiracy/PiratesPiratesWildlife Crime |
Author: Wombwell, James A. Title: The Long War Against Piracy: Historical Trends Summary: This study surveys the experience of the United States, Great Britain, and other seafaring nations in addressing the problem of piracy at sea, then derives insights from that experience that may be relevant to the suppression of the current surge of piratical activity. Wombwell, a retired naval officer, traces the course of several outbreaks of piracy during the past 300 years in a variety of geographical areas. Although each case varies in its details, Wombwell concludes that enough similarities exist to permit several useful generalizations. Among these are the causes of piracy, the factors that permit the behavior to flourish, and the range of countermeasures that have been available to policymakers seeking to eradicate the problem. When conditions are favorable for piracy to develop, and no strong response is made by the forces of law and order, what began as low-level brigandage often grows to outrageous proportions, ultimately requiring significant military resources to suppress or eliminate the threat posed to legitimate commerce. Details: Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, 2010. 195p. Source: Internet Resource: Occasional Paper 32: Accessed December 14, 2010 at: http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/download/csipubs/wombwell_32.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/download/csipubs/wombwell_32.pdf Shelf Number: 120498 Keywords: Historical StudiesMaritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesPirates |
Author: Liss, Carolin Title: Privatising Anti-Piracy Services in Strategically Important Waterways: Risks, Challenges and Benefits Summary: In the past few years, an increasing number of Private Security Companies (PSCs – also sometimes referred to as Private Military Companies, PMCs) have emerged offering and conducting Anti-Piracy Services. These companies offer services in addition to security provided by states and their government agencies. PSCs are today hired to provide anti-piracy services in different parts of the world, but mostly in strategically important waterways where piracy is a serious security concern. This paper examines the employment of PSCs in two such waterways, namely the Malacca Straits and the Gulf of Aden, and discusses the risks, challenges and benefits of privatising maritime security. Details: Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Japan: Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Tokyo, 2009. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: GraSPP Working Paper Series: Accessed December 14, 2010 at: http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/research/dp/documents/GraSPP-DP-E-09-003OPU-DP-E-09-001.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Asia URL: http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/research/dp/documents/GraSPP-DP-E-09-003OPU-DP-E-09-001.pdf Shelf Number: 120504 Keywords: Maritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesPiratesPrivate SecurityPrivatization |
Author: Raidt, John Title: Advancing U.S., African, and Global Interests: Security and Stability in the West African Maritime Domain Summary: This report presents the analysis and recommendations of the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center in cooperation with the On the Horizon Project to advance U.S. strategic interests in West Africa. Unaddressed problems of poor governance, severe poverty, widespread public corruption, and growing insecurity from the presence of criminal and militant enterprises engaged in theft, terrorism, trafficking, piracy, poaching, and pollution will continue to punish local populations and create conditions of instability that undermine public order from greater levels of armed confl ict and mass migration and threaten the reliable flow of oil from the region. As noted in a recent United Nations report, the “combination of coups from the top and insurgencies from below render West Africa in the opinion of the UN the least politically stable region in the world.” While this report focuses on the maritime domain, the Atlantic Council approaches the regional security challenges from a broad perspective. Security issues are holistic and must be addressed as such. The dynamics and consequences of insecurity in the maritime domain are part of a wider, more complex political and security dynamic encompassing rule of law, governance, public capacities, and economic and human development across geographic, societal, and national domains. Just as the causes, manifestations, and consequences of insecurity are comprehensive, so too must be the preventatives and remedies. This document provides a broad strategic-level analysis and corresponding recommendations for action that can, and we believe should, be supported and implemented by U.S. and allied policymakers, African leaders, and key stakeholders. Details: Washington, DC: Atlantic Council, 2010. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2011 at: http://www.acus.org/files/publication_pdfs/3/advancing-us-african-global-interests-security-stability-west-africa-maritime-domain.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Africa URL: http://www.acus.org/files/publication_pdfs/3/advancing-us-african-global-interests-security-stability-west-africa-maritime-domain.pdf Shelf Number: 120632 Keywords: Maritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesPoachingTerrorismTraffickingTransnational Crime |
Author: Vogel, Augustus Title: Investing in Science and Technology to Meet Africa’s Maritime Security Challenges Summary: A growing number of Africa’s security challenges – narcotics trafficking, piracy, illegal fishing, and armed robberies, among others – take place at sea. Illicit actors exploit Africa’s maritime space given its expansiveness and the limited number of vessels African governments can field to interdict this activity. In this Africa Security Brief, Augustus Vogel argues that technology can dramatically improve Africa’s maritime security coverage. However, to do so will require engaging Africa’s scientists who can guide and sustain these efforts. This will yield not only security but environmental and meteorological benefits for the continent. Details: Washington, DC: Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 2011. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Africa Security Brief, No. 10: Accessed March 15, 2011 at: http://www.ndu.edu/press/lib/pdf/ACSS-Research-Papers/ACSS-10.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Africa URL: http://www.ndu.edu/press/lib/pdf/ACSS-Research-Papers/ACSS-10.pdf Shelf Number: 120917 Keywords: Drug TraffickingIllegal FishingKidnappingsMaritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesViolence (Africa) |
Author: Gunther, Michael J. Title: A Cooperative Strategy of 21st Century Seapower: 200 Years of Repressing Piracy and Still Missing the Boat Summary: Piracy on the high seas is increasing. This is especially true for the waters off the African coast, which are some of the most dangerous in the world. The violence and negative economic aspects of piracy present challenges to international security and stability, especially for African coastal nations. Repressing piracy is a complicated process that requires coordination and cooperation among national and international military and nonmilitary agencies. Joint Interdiction Planning and Homeland Defense Doctrine address piracy repression but fail to provide adequate guidance and processes to successfully complete the operation. The only threat response plan that could be used to address acts of piracy is the national-level Maritime Operational Threat Response (MOTR) plan. To succeed at repressing piracy around Africa, the regional Geographic Combatant Commander must build a regional command and control structure capable of executing all phases of piracy repression, advocate the development of new joint doctrine, and promote implementation of regional interagency threat response plans. This paper will analyze the abilities of U.S. maritime forces to successfully create and maintain security on the high seas around Africa from piracy as outlined in "Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower." The analysis examines strategic guidance provided in the "National Strategy for Maritime Security," evaluates the law of the sea, assesses threat response plans, and analyzes AFRICOM's role. Finally, the paper concludes that improvements are required to the existing process to successfully combat piracy around Africa. Details: Newport, RI: Joint Military Operations Department, Naval War College, 2008. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2011 at: http://dodreports.com/pdf/ada484354.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Africa URL: http://dodreports.com/pdf/ada484354.pdf Shelf Number: 123004 Keywords: Maritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/Pirates |
Author: Rinehard, Britta Title: Armed Guards on Merchant Vessels Summary: The threat of piracy off the coast of Somalia, as well as in the Gulf of Aden (GoA), Horn of Africa (HoA) and the Indian Ocean has sparked a new discussion on the use of privately contracted armed security personnel (PCASP) on board merchant vessels to prevent pirates from successfully boarding and hijacking a vessel. Vessels with low freeboard and/ or low speed are more vulnerable to pirate attacks. Therefore hiring armed guards on these vulnerable vessels are more likely. However, employing private armed guards to protect commercial vessels traveling through pirate-prone waters is controversial for a number of reasons, such as legal issues, safety concerns for seafarers and varying national regulations. This paper will provide a brief overview of the on-going debate over the use of PCASPs as well as recent movements related to this matter. Details: Norfolk, VA: Civil-Military Fusion Centre (www.cimicweb.org), 2011. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 26, 2012 at https://www.cimicweb.org/Documents/CFC%20Anti-Piracy%20Thematic%20Papers/CFC_Anti-Piracy_Report_Armed%20Guards%20October%202011_Final_rmb.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: https://www.cimicweb.org/Documents/CFC%20Anti-Piracy%20Thematic%20Papers/CFC_Anti-Piracy_Report_Armed%20Guards%20October%202011_Final_rmb.pdf Shelf Number: 123774 Keywords: Maritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesPrivate SecuritySecurity GuardsTransnational Crime |
Author: Daxecker, Ursula Title: Insurgents of the Sea: Institutional and Economic Opportunities for Maritime Piracy Summary: While piracy may evoke romanticized visions of swashbuckling, rum swigging, and skirt chasing pirates hoisting the Jolly Roger, it is not a relevant description of modern piracy. Maritime piracy has changed substantially by taking advantage of modernization and substantial upgrading of the weapons, vessels, and weapons it employs. In addition, as documented by the International Marine Bureau (IMB), the frequency of pirate attacks has increased significantly, with more than 2,200 piracy incidents occurring since 2004. We argue that piracy is a result of permissive institutional environments and the lack of legal forms of employment in states‟ fishing sectors. We investigate these arguments empirically using systemic and monadic-level data for the 1991-2009 period. Our empirical analyses show that state weakness and reductions in fish catch affect piracy as expected. These findings suggest that international efforts in combating piracy should center on improving the institutional environments and labor opportunities driving maritime piracy. Details: Unpublished, Undated. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2012 at http://ursuladaxecker.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/1/8/2618117/prins_and_daxecker_04-18-11.pdf Year: 0 Country: International URL: http://ursuladaxecker.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/1/8/2618117/prins_and_daxecker_04-18-11.pdf Shelf Number: 124087 Keywords: Maritime CrimeOrganized CrimePiracy/PiratesPirates |
Author: Bekkevold, Jo Inge Title: Anti-Piracy and Humanitarian Operations Summary: Given the last decade's maritime cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations after the 2004 tsunami and the 2011 earth quake and tsunami in Japan, and the last years' anti-piracy efforts off-Somalia and elsewhere, the first workshop on “Anti-Piracy and Humanitarian Operations” was a timely and important event. The first paper by a team of Norwegian scholars and naval officers assesses Norway’s contribution to multilateral anti-piracy missions in the Indian Ocean and Somalia. The paper by Bernard Cole, professor at the US National War College, is an analysis of several recent US HADR operations in the Asia-Pacific region. Sarabjeet Singh Parmar, research fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi, discusses the importance of HADR operations in India’s National Strategy. The last paper by Øystein Tunsjø, associate professor at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, adresses the impact of recent and future maritime developments in Asia on Norwegian security. Details: Oslo: Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, 2012. 79p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 9, 2012 at: http://ifs.forsvaret.no/publikasjoner/IOS/Sider/IOS_1_2012.aspx Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://ifs.forsvaret.no/publikasjoner/IOS/Sider/IOS_1_2012.aspx Shelf Number: 125512 Keywords: Maritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/Pirates |
Author: Norris, John Title: Twenty Years of Collapse and Counting: The Cost of Failure in Somalia Summary: The disastrous famine in Somalia is the worst the world has seen in 20 years, and it again casts a harsh spotlight on the situation in that country. With millions of people now at risk of starvation, and appalling stories of human hardship dominating the evening news, the name “Somalia” once again conjures images of crisis and despair—a famished, suffering country peopled by pirates, terrorists, and warlords. Somalia is best known for the civil war and famine of the early 1990s, which killed some 250,000 people and triggered a massive, U.S.-led humanitarian intervention that culminated in the infamous “Black Hawk Down” incident of 1994. More recently, the rise of indigenous Islamist movements in southern Somalia has rekindled fears that the anarchic territory could—or has—become a safe haven for Al Qaeda and other transnational terrorist movements. Western and regional efforts to reduce the terror threat by establishing a central government in Somalia have failed to improve governance. A recent confidential audit of the Somali government suggests that in 2009 and 2010 some 96 percent of direct bilateral assistance to the government had simply disappeared, presumably into the pockets of corrupt officials.19 The repeated failure of international efforts to produce positive change in Somalia has generated fatigue among donors at a time when Somalia’s needs have never been greater. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is rightfully a well-worn adage. Yet in the world of foreign policy it is an exceedingly difficult credo to translate from convenient talking point into practice. As much as policy experts and others, including the U.S. secretary of defense, call for sensible investments in crisis prevention, international development, and expanded diplomatic capabilities, the default setting of the U.S. government and its partners in the international community is to scrimp on crisis prevention while pouring money into crisis response and containment. By and large, the U.S. government ends up spending far more time and money responding to crises or tinkering with tactical responses than preventing crises or nurturing effective peacebuilding efforts. This paper explores the staggeringly high cost of this approach by looking at the case of Somalia. This research tries to determine—using a variety of official and unofficial sources and some educated guesswork—a reasonable estimate of the financial cost of Somalia’s conflict since 1991. We tried to be as exhaustive as possible in determining the money spent on Somalia by the international community, regional actors, and the Somali diaspora, regardless of the specific intentions of spending and whether these expenditures were sensible and effective or not. It is our hope that the data explored in this paper can provide the foundation for a useful cost-benefit analysis of what has and has not worked in Somalia. We welcome any additional insights into our methodology and findings. Details: Washington, DC: Center for American Progress, 2011. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2013 at: http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2011/09/pdf/somalia.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Somalia URL: http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2011/09/pdf/somalia.pdf Shelf Number: 127696 Keywords: Drug TraffickingMaritime CrimePiracy/PiratesTerrorism (Somalia) |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Title: Transnational Organized Crime in West Africa: A Threat Assessment Summary: Key Findings • The flow of cocaine through West Africa appears to have declined to about 18 tons, down from a peak of 47 tons in 2007. These 18 tons would be worth US$1.25 billion at wholesale in Europe, providing West African traffickers with substantial income. • Modes of conveyance for cocaine from South America to Europe via West Africa have shifted over time in response to enforcement efforts. Much of the cocaine headed to West Africa today comes from Brazil, where Nigerian crime groups are exporting the drug. Recently, these groups have been moving into containerized consignments and maritime shipping, adopting these methods in addition to their traditional methods of air couriering and postal shipments. From West Africa, an increase in the use of Benin as a departure point for air couriers has been noted. • Methamphetamine production in the region is a growing concern, with two methamphetamine laboratories detected in Nigeria in 2011-2012. The main market for West African-made meth is East Asia, and to a lesser extent, South Africa. The income from trafficking West African-made methamphetamines to East Asia is remarkably high for such a new flow, but the long-term prospects are limited in light of competition from producers located in the destination markets. • Due to the economic downturn, the flow of smuggled migrants from West Africa to Europe has declined in recent years. The prominence of the many routes has shifted significantly, with routes moving eastwards. • Given the number of weapons still circulating from past conflicts in the region, there is very little need to import large numbers of weapons into West Africa. Most of the illicit flow of weapons in the region is diverted or stolen from licit national stocks held by to 20,000 firearms from Libya does represent a serious threat to stability in the region, a threat that appears to have been realized in northern Mali. • The prevalence of fraudulent medicines is highest not in the markets where profits would be the greatest, but in those where chances of detection are lowest. At least 10% of the imported medicines circulating in West Africa are fraudulent, posing a grave threat to public health and safety. • Maritime piracy has generated renewed attention in the Gulf of Guinea, with 22 pirate attacks occurring off the coast of Benin in 2011. In 2012, Togo became the new hotspot for attacks on petroleum tankers. These vessels are attacked because there is a booming black market for fuel in West Africa. • Unless the flows of contraband are addressed, instability and lawlessness will persist, and it will remain difficult to build state capacity and the rule of law in the region. Each of these flows requires a tailored response, because the commodities involved respond to distinct sources of supply and demand. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2013. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 27, 2013 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/tocta/West_Africa_TOCTA_2013_EN.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Africa URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/tocta/West_Africa_TOCTA_2013_EN.pdf Shelf Number: 127736 Keywords: CocaineDrug TraffickingFirearms TraffickingFraudulent MedicinesHuman SmugglingMaritime CrimeMethamphetaminesOrganized Crime (West Africa)Piracy/Pirates |
Author: Feldt, Lutz Title: Maritime Security – Perspectives for a Comprehensive Approach Summary: Challenges to “Maritime Security” have many faces – piracy and armed robbery, maritime terrorism, illicit trafficking by sea, i.e. narcotics trafficking, small arms and light weapons trafficking, human trafficking, global climate change, cargo theft etc. These challenges keep evolving and may be hybrid in nature: an interconnected and unpredictable mix of traditional and irregular warfare, terrorism, and/or organized crime. In our study we focus on piracy, armed robbery and maritime terrorism. Starting with principle observations regarding Maritime Security and the threat situation, we have a look at operational requirements and maritime collaboration featuring Maritime Domain Awareness. Finally, we give recommendations for political, military and business decision makers. Details: Berlin: Institut für Strategie- Politik- Sicherheits- und Wirtschaftsberatung ISPSW, 2013. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: ISPSW Strategy Series: Focus on Defense and International Security Issue No. 222: Accessed May 9, 2013 at: www.ispsw.de Year: 2013 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 128690 Keywords: Armed RobberyMaritime CrimeMaritime SecurityMaritime TerrorismPiracy/Pirates |
Author: MacPhee, J. Title: Dalhousie Marine Piracy Project: Beating the Banks: Hawala’s Place in the Global Financial Environment and its Potential Links to Piracy Summary: Hawala is an informal system that allows its users to transfer money quickly, reliably, and inexpensively. It is prevalent in countries where infrastructure is lacking and political corruption is widespread. As such, it is able to fill a major gap in citizens’ access to financial services. In Somalia, for example, hawala is the only reliable way of moving money into the country. Hence, it is used by members of the Somali diaspora to send remittances to their families, as well as by United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations to get aid money to those in need. Its contribution to these societies is vital. However, all of this takes place under the radar of formal financial institutions and regulatory bodies. This makes it an attractive channel for criminal groups that wish to fund or launder proceeds of illegal activities. Money can be transferred anonymously, and transaction records are scant or nonexistent. It is important to note, however, that illicit users make up only a small percentage of total clients, overall. For example, even using the highest estimate, Somali piracy proceeds could have made up only 6% of total money transferred out of the country through hawala in 2010. Viable alternatives are needed to draw users away from hawala and new developments in mobile money transfer technology could represent a promising first step. This SMS-based service allows individuals to deposit money into an account that they can access through their cell phones, using it for personal transfers or purchases. This innovation addresses many of the gaps in formal banking services that keep hawala in demand; mobile transfers are cheap, instant, and accessible to all segments of society. Through the use of new technology and strategic partnerships, legitimate users of hawala may begin to move away from informal transfer channels, leaving the system a weaker tool for the criminals left behind. Details: Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University, 2012. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Marine Affairs Program Technical Report #8: Accessed May 21, 2013 at: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/Dalhousie-Marine-Affairs-Program-Technical-Report-%238-2012-12.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/Dalhousie-Marine-Affairs-Program-Technical-Report-%238-2012-12.pdf Shelf Number: 128761 Keywords: Financial CrimesMaritime CrimesPiracy/Pirates |
Author: Hodgson, J.R.F. Title: Dalhousie Marine Piracy Project The Role of the International Maritime Organization In Combating Piracy Summary: The objective of this paper is to explore the role of IMO as the leading multilateral agency tasked with addressing the issue of piracy, and to assess the effectiveness of that role in the light of the serious issues and challenges presented by the current scale of piracy off the East Coast of Africa, and elsewhere in the world. More particularly its goal is to examine the degree to which the mandate and authority assigned to the Organization for dealing with security issues such as piracy is adequate and appropriate. Also for consideration is whether the treaty and governance parameters within which it is constrained to operate enable the Organization to meet its responsibilities. A particular focus is the effectiveness of the decision-making challenges associated with IMO’s policy development process, involving as it does a multilateral body that must not only work with national administrations, interest groups and industry, but must also interface with numerous other multilateral bodies. This paper is proposed as a first step in a two (or more) step process. The intent is that it provides a basis for discussion with those members of the staff of IMO who are engaged in policy development, and program design and implementation, and with leading maritime industry associations and NGOs, with a view to confirming, modifying and/or amplifying observations made in the paper. It is therefore structured to generate ‘Discussion Points’, which can then form the basis for such discussions. These Discussion Points are therefore included in the text of the paper and assembled at the end. It should be stressed that the focus of this short paper is upon the effectiveness of IMO and its governance processes in addressing the issue of piracy. To undertake this assessment it is necessary to provide brief outlines of the nature and extent of the piracy related work in which IMO is engaged. It is, however, beyond the scope of the paper to provide a comprehensive description and analysis of this work, and the reader must look elsewhere for such material. Details: Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University, 2012. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Marine Affairs Program Technical Report #7: Accessed May 21, 2013 at: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/Dalhousie-Marine-Affairs-Program-Technical-Report-%237-2012-12.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/Dalhousie-Marine-Affairs-Program-Technical-Report-%237-2012-12.pdf Shelf Number: 128762 Keywords: Maritime CrimesMaritime SecurityPiracy/Pirates |
Author: Whitman, S. Title: Dalhousie Marine Piracy Project: Exploring an Integrated Approach to the Suppression and Prevention of Marine Piracy Summary: Piracy, one of the oldest crimes in history, has had its peaks and lows of activity throughout various regions around the world. Even though each outbreak has its own set of actors, motives, tactics and targets, anti-piracy responses have understandably focused on addressing the problem as it arises on the sea. This focus on where the problem manifests itself as opposed to the source of the problem has failed to sufficiently address the root causes of piracy. On the premise that the source of piracy is deeply embedded in the social, political and economic structures of society, the Dalhousie Marine Piracy Project (DMPP) goal was to undertake an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to assessing and addressing the problem of contemporary piracy and its impact on the shipping and coastal communities. To achieve this goal, the DMPP aimed to understand potential piracy situations before they manifest, and sought to identify appropriate social, economic, security and political indicators and actions needed to prevent outbreaks of piracy. To that end, it also sought to provide a comprehensive suite of integrated policy alternatives to be considered by key policy actors in the suppression and prevention of piracy In pursuit of the above goal, the project, entitled ‘Policy Development and Interdisciplinary Research for Actions on Coastal Communities, Youth and Seafarers’, embarked on: A comprehensive examination of contemporary piracy to determine the true socio-economic costs and effects that piracy has on seafarers, coastal states and those communities; An integrated assessment of cross-cutting policy alternatives for dealing with the problem in a comprehensive manner; A review of the consequences associated with implementing the identified policy options; An identification of the strategic directions that need to be adopted to implement corrective measures; and, The development of a preliminary generalized model for predicting the emergence of piracy. The DMPP team recognized the significant contributions being made by scholars and practitioners who have focused on addressing the problem of piracy from either a thematic focus (e.g. operational, economic or social) and/or a geographic focus (e.g. the Horn of Africa). In contrast to this approach, the DMPP focused on drawing on these existing analyses to identify cross-cutting linkages and gaps in the knowledge base that require policy makers’ attention at the international, regional, national and local levels, in an effort to address potential actions to contribute to the discouragement and suppression of piracy The objective was not to conduct original research, but to deliver policy innovative outputs from the analysis in the form of an interdisciplinary suite of policy options that reflected a paradigmatic shift in the way piracy is understood, suppressed and prevented. The intention is to make the recommended policy options available for public comment, and to present them to governments, the private sector, agencies of the United Nations and civil society, including Non- Government Organizations (NGOs). A key objective of the DMPP is to pursue opportunities for getting the project findings onto the agenda of high-level meetings of policy makers and practitioners to develop specific policy responses aimed at addressing the problem of global marine piracy in an integrated manner. This interdisciplinary report seeks to draw on the analysis of the socio-economic, governance aspects and operational response factors inherent in contemporary marine piracy in order to capture the key findings of each thematic area of study and, thereafter, to expand on those findings that have synergies across the reports. The report reflects the ‘integrated or interdisciplinary thinking’ of the DMPP Team - the application of the collective mind - in collating all the relevant data about the socio-economic and human costs of piracy, the counter-piracy policies and practices, and varied legal regimes, organizational strategies and governance processes. The report goes on to provide a clear reference point for other follow-up research projects and presentations. Details: Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University, 2012. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Marine Affairs Program Technical Report #4: Accessed May 21, 2013 at: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/Dalhousie-Marine-Affairs-Program-Technical-Report-%234-2012-12.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/Dalhousie-Marine-Affairs-Program-Technical-Report-%234-2012-12.pdf Shelf Number: 128763 Keywords: Maritime CrimesMaritime SecurityPiracy/Pirates |
Author: Reuchlin, J.W. Title: Dalhousie Marine Piracy Project The Economic Impacts of Piracy on the Commercial Shipping Industry: A Regional Perspective Summary: This report assesses the economic impacts of maritime piracy on the commercial shipping industry. For the purpose of this report this industry consists of maritime transport and fisheries. The maritime transport industry includes the transport of cargo and passengers. Both form an important part of the global economy. For example 75% of the total world trade measured in tonnes and 59% in terms of value is transported by sea (Mandryk, 2009). With regard to the maritime transport of passengers, the cruise industry accommodated an estimated 15 million passengers in 2010 (FCCA, 2011) and 1.7 billion people made use of ferries in 2007 (IMO, 2011). The total amount of persons that make use of maritime transport is even higher when considering the use of yachts around the world. The fishing industry is equally important as it provides over 34 million people employment as fishers and the estimated first-sale value of the captured fish was US$ 93.9 billion in 2008 (FAO, 2010). In recent years piracy has increasingly become a threat for the commercial shipping industry. There are four geographic regions in which almost all acts piracy and armed robbery occur. These four large regions are: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Southeast Asia (SeA), the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), and the Northern and Western Indian Ocean (NWIO). Details: Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University, 2012. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Marine Affairs Program Technical Report #6: Accessed May 21, 2013 at: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/Dalhousie-Marine-Affairs-Program-Technical-Report-%236-2012-12.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/Dalhousie-Marine-Affairs-Program-Technical-Report-%236-2012-12.pdf Shelf Number: 128766 Keywords: Economics of CrimeFishing IndustryMaritime CrimesPiracy/Pirates |
Author: Fanning, L. Title: Dalhousie Marine Piracy Project: Legal, Institutional and Governance Arrangements for Apprehending and Prosecuting Marine Pirates Summary: Under the broader mandate of the DMPP, the Law and Governance Module is investigating three (3) major themes that focus on the origins and manifestations of piracy; the apprehension of piracy; and the prosecution of piracy. This Report is a key output from the first phase of the project which primarily utilized desk top research conducted between June 2011 and February 2012. Its main purpose is to serve as a discussion piece for the DMPP external Law and Governance Module working group members. It is anticipated that working group members will critically review the context and analysis of the report for accuracy and omissions, identify priority areas for attention, identify areas for further research and recommend draft policy options anticipated to address issues surrounding the law and governance aspects of contemporary marine piracy. For ease of reference and additional insight, the Report offers some key discussion points within its sections and conclusion. Whilst by no means exhaustive, the research analysis reflected herein is geared towards answering four major research questions pertaining to: 1) The current legal and institutional arrangements for addressing piracy; 2) The current legal regime dealing with the apprehension, prosecution and incarceration of pirates; 3) The legal status of pirates, child pirates, suspect pirates, organizers and their backers; and, 4) The governance conditions that allow piracy to gain a foothold. The discussions provide an interpretive outline of the three major formulations or definitions of piracy found within international law, a summary of the national approaches taken by States to incorporate those definitions in their national laws dealing with the suppression of crime at sea; and examine how the DMPP-formulated definition complies with current legal practices. While a plethora of arrangements exist that both directly and indirectly have a role in addressing piracy, the Report also highlights the key arrangements for coordinating and organizing the fight against piracy at the international, regional and other institutional/organizational levels. Given the role of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as the leading multilateral agency tasked with addressing the issue of piracy, the DMPP Law and Governance team undertook a preliminary analysis to assess the effectiveness of that role in light of the serious issues and challenges presented by the current scale of piracy off the East Coast of Africa, and elsewhere in the world. Drawing upon several insightful interpretations of the rights, duties and obligations of states in the investigation, apprehension and prosecution of suspect pirates, the resulting analysis concluded that the legal regime and mechanisms employed to date have not been without its challenges and difficulties. In addition to national courts, several other avenues have been recommended and analyzed, whether they are applicable for prosecuting those found committing or attempting to commit acts of piracy, including those involved in piracy operations, more particularly piracy backers, organizers and financiers. Emphasis has also been placed on those who use Hawala and other value transfer systems to facilitate the movement of funds to aid piracy operations, those who seek to employ children as pirates and those who may be proven guilty of participating in transnational organized crime, or in extreme cases, crimes against humanity. Special consideration was also given to the status and rights of the child, prosecution of young offenders and the problems with returning a child to the worst forms of labor. In deliberating on the dominant conditions that have seemingly allowed piracy to gain a foothold particularly within the East African region (Horn of Africa), some structural indicators evident within functional/strong states were examined as the basis for analyzing the influence of failed states and to some extent, weak states, on maritime piracy operations. Additionally, analysis of the current literature undertaken for this project suggests that the effectiveness of existing governance regimes at the national, regional and international levels are inextricably linked to the root causes of piracy. Similarly, the linkages between and among relevant institutional arrangements in terms of their functionalities and the process for ensuring data and information, analysis and advice are provided to guide decision-making at national, regional and international levels need to be determined and where necessary, strengthened. From a governance effectiveness perspective, it is evident that there is a broad array of policy actors who are engaged in addressing the problem of marine piracy. As such, the DMPP research has highlighted that considerable emphasis should be placed by scholars, practitioners and decision-makers on the need to understand and address marine piracy at multiple jurisdictional levels. Before concluding, the Report discusses the initial efforts of the DMPP to develop a generalized predictive model that would provide the global maritime community with a preliminary decision-support tool aimed at anticipating potential piracy ‘hot spots’. The development of this predictive model draws upon the research conducted by all three of the DMPP modules and identifies the socioeconomic, governance, legal and other relevant precursors to the outbreak of contemporary piracy. The policy implications of such a tool are widespread as it can provide the incentives needed for targeted pre-emptive responses to be structured and focused before the problem becomes manifest. Most significantly, it has the potential to modify and enhance governance regimes in areas flagged as potentially susceptible to piracy and more than likely (to experience piracy activity in the near future), with the potential for other global, regional and national security-related risks. Details: Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University, 2012. 139p. Source: Internet Resource: Marine Affairs Program Technical Report #2: Accessed May 21, 2013 at: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/MAP_Technical_Report_%232.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/MAP_Technical_Report_%232.pdf Shelf Number: 128769 Keywords: Maritime CrimesMaritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesProsecution |
Author: Whitman, S. Title: Dalhousie Marine Piracy Project: The Root Causes and True Costs of Marine Piracy Summary: Although the Socio Economic Module Draft Report conceptualizes piracy as an economic crime, it also considers political, social, and historical facts associated with piratical activity. The overall aim is to provide a report that may lead to more proactive approaches to combatting piracy in the future by considering the root causes and how to prevent future outbreaks. The Socio Economic Module was tasked with investigating two major themes under the broader DMPP project, including: 1) The cost of piracy: the effect piracy is having on the commercial shipping, including responses by the shipping and insurance industry, and uses of risk management, including the safety of seafarers. 2) The prevention of piracy: considering the social, political and economic factors which contribute to the emergence of piracy, including and exploration of parallels between child soldiers and loss of livelihoods following natural disasters. In order to address the broader themes listed above, the Socio Economic Module took a comparative case study approach to its research, focusing on geographic regions that are currently affected by piratical activity. This includes: Southeast Asia, Gulf of Guinea, Gulf of Aden, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Such an approach allowed us to identify both specific and common socio-economic factors related to piracy by tracing its origins and evolution. The global analysis of the root causes of piracy can be summarized as follows: 1) Economic Root Causes: a. The relatively high chances of substantial income; b. The relatively low costs of and attack; c. The relatively low opportunity costs and economic risks. 2) Social Root Causes: a. Maritime Capacity and tradition in a region; b. The ability to gain social status through piracy; c. The existence of grievance; d. The existence of community support for piracy. 3) Political Root Causes: a. The existence of corruption within the state; b. The presence of armed groups; c. Limited state capacity; d. Regional disputes. Given these root causes, it is a challenge to address how to prevent the occurrence of maritime piracy. The Socio Economic Module seeks to provide new theoretical paradigms through which to address piracy: 1) Conflict Prevention Theory requires a multi-pronged approach that requires sincere commitment to short, medium and long-term objectives. The principles of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine should be born in mind and applied to the piracy problematique. 2) Addressing the Demand side of the problem in terms of the lessons learned from the drug and human trafficking paradigms provides potential remedies. The inelasticity in the demand for piracy has undermined the operational and security-centric interventions to date. 3) Corporate Social Responsibility and Globalization need to be considered as piracy is a profit making business that has benefitted from globalized markets and technology. Can the remedies to piracy be found in the principles of corporate social responsibility – through the creation of programmes, taxes, and infrastructure development that impacts poverty levels, unemployment, and violence and corruption levels in the regions where piracy exists? Key areas for further research that have been identified include: 1) the Environmental impacts on piracy; 2) Latin America and emerging trends; 3) Links to the small arms trade; 4) Links to human trafficking; 5) Links to the drug trade; 6) Human costs of piracy; 7) The relationship between subsistence pirates and organized pirates; 8) Gender dimensions of piracy. Details: Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University, 2012. 135p. Source: Internet Resource: Marine Affairs Program Technical Report #1: Accessed May 21, 2013 at: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/MAP_Technical_Report_%231.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/Files/MAP_Technical_Report_%231.pdf Shelf Number: 128770 Keywords: Economics of CrimeMaritime CrimesPiracy/PiratesShipping Industry |
Author: Dugato, Marco Title: Maritime Piracy Worldwide Summary: The phenomenon of maritime piracy dates back to the beginning of seafaring. Since the 1980s, maritime piracy has re-emerged as an international problem because of a significant rise in the recorded attacks. The security of maritime routes is a matter of concern for national governments, ship owners and trade companies whose vessels face the risk of being robbed of their cargo or hijacked for a ransom. Maritime piracy is a complex phenomenon that, according to the definition used, comprises different criminal behaviours (e.g., theft, robbery, kidnapping), modus operandi (e.g., massive armed attacks, insiders, use of skiffs and mother ships) and targets (e.g., the goods carried on the ship, the belongings of the crew, the ship itself). These features may change over time and over space. Looking at the evolution and peculiarities of this phenomenon in different areas can help to identify regularities and implement more effective countermeasures. In recent years, Transcrime has been active in promoting the idea that actual reductions of complex crime phenomena can be reached through specific prevention strategies. This approach relies on accurate analyses of the available data to identify regular patterns and risk factors. This study summarises some of the findings that emerged from the research Transcrime conducted on maritime piracy, using a comparative approach. Details: Trento: Transcrime - Universita degli Studi di Trento, 2015. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Transcrime Research in Brief no. 1: Accessed march 16, 2015 at: http://www.transcrime.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/maritime-piracy.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://www.transcrime.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/maritime-piracy.pdf Shelf Number: 134932 Keywords: Cargo TheftMaritime Crime (International:Piracy/PiratesShipping IndustryStolen PropertyTheft of Goods |
Author: Altafin, Chiara Title: The Threat of Contemporary Piracy and the Role of the International Community Summary: The criminal phenomenon of piracy has resurfaced as a major threat to international trade and maritime security and to the freedom of the seas, particularly considering that the relevant acts occur not only on high seas but increasingly on territorial waters. An international conference on this issue was organized by the Institute for International Affairs (IAI), in cooperation with the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL), and held in Rome at the Center for Higher Defence Studies on 28 November 2013. Eminent speakers delivered wide-ranging and thought-provoking presentations on several important questions, including the geo-political implications of piracy and role of navies, the armed personnel on board commercial ships, maritime piracy and international relations, the prosecution of pirates, the policy of ship-owners, the relation between smart defence and maritime security, the legal and humanitarian problems on insuring piracy risk, the costs of piracy, the role of NATO in the fight against piracy. Details: Rome: Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and International Institute of Humanitarian Law , 2014. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: DOCUMENTI IAI 14 | 01: Accessed March 20, 2015 at: http://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/iai1401.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Somalia URL: http://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/iai1401.pdf Shelf Number: 134989 Keywords: Maritime Crime (Somalia) Maritime Security Piracy/Pirates |
Author: Putten, Frans-Paul van der Title: Geopolitics and Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean. What Role for the European Union? Summary: The European Union needs to pay close attention to the risks and the potential benefits of a greater engagement in maritime security in the Indian Ocean. Against the backdrop of a crowded, unstable and increasingly militarized maritime space, this Policy Brief provides an overview of the main aspects that future EU policy planning on maritime security in the Indian Ocean must address. It outlines important recent developments in the region and discusses their specific implications for the EU as a maritime actor: What exactly is the European Union currently doing in this field, what are its main interests, and how can the EU effectively protect them without antagonizing its traditional security partners or adding fuel to an already tense situation of maritime insecurity? Details: The Hague: The Hague Institute for Global Justice and Clingendael, 2014. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Police Brief 11: Accessed September 21, 2015 at: http://www.clingendael.nl/sites/default/files/Geopolitics%20and%20Maritime%20Security%20in%20the%20Indian%20Ocean.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: http://www.clingendael.nl/sites/default/files/Geopolitics%20and%20Maritime%20Security%20in%20the%20Indian%20Ocean.pdf Shelf Number: 136839 Keywords: Maritime Crime Maritime Security Piracy/Pirates |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Somali Prison Survey Report: Piracy Motivations & Deterrents Summary: The joint survey of UNODC and OBP finds that: - Poor economic conditions were reported as the major reason for engaging in piracy, and long-term solutions to piracy should address this. - Prisoners report being very impacted by prison, and express a strong desire to avoid future prison time. - International navies, more than any other counter-piracy activity, were listed as the primary deterrent. Armed guards aboard ships were also frequently listed. - A substantial number of prisoners rejected the term pirate or piracy, maintaining that they were fishermen who were not guilty of piracy. - For those pirates who knew someone who left piracy, the dominant reason was family or community pressure. - The illegal fishing narrative remains a rationalization for piracy. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2015. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 24, 2015 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/Piracy/SomaliPrisonSurveyReport.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Somalia URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/Piracy/SomaliPrisonSurveyReport.pdf Shelf Number: 136866 Keywords: Illegal FishingMaritime CrimePiracy/Pirates |
Author: Allan, Peter Title: In-depth evaluation of the Counter Piracy Programme: Combating maritime piracy in the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean; Increasing regional capacities to deter, detain and prosecute pirates Summary: The Security Council Resolution 1851 (2008) provided the basis for the establishment of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), with the purpose of coordinating activities among states and organizations to suppress piracy off the coast of Somalia. This international forum has brought together more than 60 countries and international organizations all working towards the prevention of piracy off the Somali coast. UNODC counter piracy activities were given official endorsement through the 1851 (2008) SC Resolution and encouraged further UNODC involvement in the region. The programme documentation refers to the Secretary General's report on piracy (S/2010/738 of 22 October 2012). UNODC programming and activities in the region have been built on the tenet of combining the efforts to bring piracy suspects to justice with wider support for the region. UNODC commenced its Counter Piracy Programme in April 2009 and it soon gained the strong support of the donor community, reflected in the growing project's budget. The original project document set out the ambition to base an international programme expert in UNODC's Regional Office to prepare and set up the necessary preconditions for the launching of the larger programme with the objective of "combating maritime piracy in the Horn of Africa through increasing regional capacities to deter, arrest, prosecute and detain pirates". This objective was developed as the programme began and at the end of 2009 the three objectives were defined as: (a) 1. Objective: Fair and efficient trials and imprisonment of piracy suspects in regional countries; (b) 2. Objective: Humane and secure imprisonment in Somalia; and (c) 3. Objective: In the longer term fair and efficient trials in Somalia itself (mainly taken forward by UNDP, but with UNODC support). Objective 1 has been achieved. For example, in Kenya (as of January 2013) there were 64 piracy suspects on remand, 74 convicted pirates, 17 acquitted and returned to Somalia and 10 completed their sentence and repatriated to Somalia. In Seychelles there were 21 piracy suspects on remand, 102 convicted pirates, 34 transferred back to Somalia to complete their sentences and 1 has completed their sentence and was repatriated to Somalia. Significant steps have been taken to achieving objectives 2 and 3 with the capacity building work currently being done in Somali including the refurbishment and building of prisons and the training of prison staff among other initiatives to improve criminal justice capacity. This is an in-depth evaluation, the purpose of which is to provide guidance to the CPP team and UNODC on key issues that may impact upon its future development and to inform the CPP's various stakeholders on the quality of the programme. The evaluation was conducted using desk review of appropriate documentation and the interviewing of relevant stakeholders. These interviews were semi-structured and consisted of some standard questions and additional questions targeted at the relevant stakeholder group(s) in order to answer the specific requirements of the Terms of Reference (ToR). The ToR can be found at Annex I, the standard questionnaire at Annex II, the data collection matrix at Annex III, the list of individuals interviewed throughout the course of this evaluation at Annex IV and the desk review material at Annex V. Objectivity was built into the overall methodology by triangulating the analysis from different sets of stakeholders to ensure the effect that inherent biases have on the analysis and evaluation process was reduced. Limitations included an inability to visit Somalia, the ToR being altered during the evaluation process, over 47 questions asked within the ToR many requiring in-depth research and limited time during the Inception phase. Details: Vienna: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Independent Evaluation Unit, 2013. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 1, 2015 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/evaluation/indepth-evaluations/2013/CPP_Evaluation_Report_-_Final_incl_Management_Response_27NOV2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Africa URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/evaluation/indepth-evaluations/2013/CPP_Evaluation_Report_-_Final_incl_Management_Response_27NOV2013.pdf Shelf Number: 136933 Keywords: Maritime CrimeMaritime PiracyPiracy/Pirates |
Author: Potgieter, Thean Title: Maritime security in the Indian Ocean: strategic setting and features Summary: For millennia the peoples living around the Indian Ocean have benefited from its rich trade, while the interaction resulting from these maritime exploits, whether of a cultural and religious nature, or of conquest and slavery, invariable influenced their lives fundamentally. These traditional patterns of trade and communication changed drastically when first the Portuguese and then other European powers began sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to establish trade links and empires in the East. Initially Africa was little affected by European maritime activity as the focus was on trade with the East. Africa's primary value was to provide refuge and provisions along a long and often hazardous route. The formidable warships of the European naval powers were rapidly able to establish dominance in the Indian Ocean and projected their influence to the furthest corners of region. Naval forces were crucial for the establishment of national interests and for countering the activities of other European nations. Over the centuries, the British in particular, because of their effective utilisation of sea power, were able to create a large Indian Ocean empire. During the course of the 19th century, European navies also played an important role in maintaining good order at sea, eradicating piracy and countering slavery. The decolonisation process after the Second World War ended British hegemony in the Indian Ocean. The subsequent Cold War was again marked by superpower rivalry in the region, enhancing the region's global strategic value. When this period came to an end, Indian Ocean countries to a certain extent rediscovered some of the economic, social and cultural facets that made the ocean the bridge between Africa, Asia and Australasia. However, regional interaction and cohesion still leave much to be desired. Indian Ocean security is now no longer the domain of colonial states or superpowers, but has become multifaceted and dynamic. New role players such as India and China have become major powers, and new national alliances are changing the scene. But current global realities have introduced maritime security problems as non-state actors are influencing security in the area directly and fundamentally. This is a serious development since the rich Indian Ocean maritime trade, which includes much of the world's energy trade, is crucial to the global economy. It seems that many of the lessons of centuries gone by are again being learned - rather than doing battle, navies have to project power and play a diplomatic role to maintain good order at sea. Maritime security is a broad, somewhat amorphous area of focus, and the relevant literature covers everything from physical safety and security measures to port security, terrorism and more. A coherent definition is therefore difficult to determine, but, for the purpose of this paper, maritime security deals with the prevention of illicit activities in the maritime domain. It could be linked directly to the national security efforts of a specific country, or it could cover regional and international efforts to enforce maritime security. This paper centres on the strategic value of the Indian Ocean and the relevant maritime security characteristics and threats. Particular attention is given to issues relevant to Africa. The paper concludes with possible solutions and highlights the importance of international and regional cooperation. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2012. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Paper no. 236: Accessed September 29, 2016 at: https://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper236.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: https://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper236.pdf Shelf Number: 140516 Keywords: Maritime Crime Maritime Security Piracy/Pirates |
Author: Fransas, Anne Title: Maritime safety and security : Literature review Summary: The increased numbers of maritime security problems during the last decades have forced international societies to organize closer co-operation and create better plans to response to the problem. Security Research and Innovation Forum, ESRIF has assessed scenarios in the future, in 2030. These scenarios embraced a range of risks, from natural to man-made incidents. ESRIF has stated that capabilities and capacities have to be mobilized to deliver equipment and services to deal with these risks. (ESRIF, 2009.) Finnish security committee has highlighted the need to shift the focus of preparedness proactively to active participation and the identification of threats and disorders as early as possible and to convey the situational picture quickly. Maritime safety is widely studied and for example maritime safety risks are rather well known and analyzed. In contrast, maritime security issues are not studied as much, and security threats in the maritime industry are not defined and analyzed systematically, with the exception of threats caused by terrorists and piracy. This report presents the latest relevant research results and studies related to the maritime safety and security issues, which form the basis and theoretical background for the whole research. In this report, both maritime safety and security issues will be discussed, but the primary focus is on maritime security issues. The purpose of the report is to study current maritime security issues. The research question of this literature study can be defined as follows: How comprehensive safety concept of maritime transport can be defined? Details: Kotka: Finland: Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences, 2012. 45p. Source: International Resource: Series B Research and Reports. No 77: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: http://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/46235/B77_raportti_2.pdf?sequence=3 Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/46235/B77_raportti_2.pdf?sequence=3 Shelf Number: 140914 Keywords: Maritime Crime Maritime Security Piracy/Pirates |
Author: Ghosh, P.K. Title: Waiting to Explode: Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea Summary: Till the early 1980s, piracy was often dismissed as being "archaic Tand folklore of the past", rarely entering the main maritime discourse. But true to its nature, 'modern' piracy has emerged with a vengeance in many hotspots of the world. Modern piracy is an extremely complex problem that is often the manifestation of various socio-political dynamics of a particular area. Each area has its own unique methodology of piracy that is often different from other regions. In an attempt to fully understand the intricacies of piracy, different methodologies can be adopted. While some experts follow the geographic classification, others prefer categorising according to the intensity of attacks or the differing rationale behind such attacks. The most commonly accepted method is geographic classification, i.e. where the attacks take place. It has been noticed that pirates operating in a particular area naturally fellow certain ethos and a distinct methodology. Thus, there is the overarching 'Asian Piracy', which has various subtypes depending on the precise area of operation. This includes Malaccan piracy, once rife in the Strait of Malacca, which has now waned due to combined multi-pronged response strategies by the bordering States of Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Piracy in the South China Sea is similar to Malaccan piracy in many ways. The Bangladeshi variety, occurring mainly off Chittagong, and the Indian variety, off the eastern and the western coasts, are similar and often amount to petty theft. They can be termed as armed robbery occurring near the coast. While media hype has riveted global attention on piracy emanating from the failed state of Somalia (and the semi-autonomous state of Puntland), piracy elsewhere has not received the attention it deserves. Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, on the western side of Africa, has often been glossed over by the world at large even though it is rising exponentially and is considered more violent and complex than piracy in the Indian Ocean. The reason for this lack of focus could be that, unlike in the Gulf of Guinea, Somalian piracy affects a larger number of shipping companies and their merchant ships. The keen interest of affected countries is evident from the large military presence in the Horn of Africa coupled with a demand for greater synergy between the myriad task forces and respective navies. No such intense international effort is visible in the Gulf of Guinea although the situation is equally grave with oil supplies being affected and heightened chances of attacks taking place. This paper aims to analyse the reasons for the rise of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, its characteristics, the primary drivers for the growing menace and international responses; it also compares the differences in modus operandi between Gulf of Guinea and Somalian piracy. Finally, the paper suggests a set of recommendations on how to overcome the problem given the constraints of the prevailing atmospherics. Details: New Delhi: Observer Research Foundation, 2013. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 16, 2017 at: http://cf.orfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/OccasionalPaper_46.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Guinea URL: http://cf.orfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/OccasionalPaper_46.pdf Shelf Number: 146976 Keywords: Maritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/Pirates |
Author: Rohwerder, Brigitte Title: Piracy in the Horn of Africa, West Africa and the Strait of Malacca Summary: Modern piracy became a significant threat in the late 1990s and early years after the Millennium in Southeast Asia and, particularly, in the Malacca Strait, with piracy hotspots also developing off the coasts of West and East Africa in the 2000s and 2010s. Piracy in West Africa has tended to be focused in the Gulf of Guinea. Levels of piracy in these regions have fluctuated over this period, with the hotspot for piracy in 2015 in Southeast Asia, especially around the Malacca or Singapore Straits. Piracy varies by region in terms of frequency, violence, tactics, level of organisation, distance from the shore, time of day and the ship's position. Nigerian pirates in the Gulf of Guinea have tended to focus on oil tankers, Somali pirates have tended to prefer collecting ransom through kidnapping, and pirates in Southeast Asia have tended to focus on opportunistic theft when ships are at anchor or berth. However, syphoning oil cargo from product tankers - similar to incidents in the Gulf of Guinea - has been reported in the Malacca Strait; and kidnappings for ransom have occurred in the Gulf of Guinea. In July 20162 a new report from the International Chamber of Commerce's International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported that piracy and armed robbery at sea had fallen to its lowest levels since 1995, despite a surge in kidnappings off West Africa. This drop is attributed to 'recent improvements around Indonesia, and the continued deterrence of Somali pirates off East Africa'. However, kidnappings have risen, with 44 crew captured for ransom in 2016 - 24 of them in Nigeria - up from 10 in the first half of 2015. The Gulf of Guinea is reported to be the most dangerous region for seafarers in 2015, with 23 people killed in pirate attacks. A combination of factors in each of the regions at different times have served to encourage, as well as discourage, piracy. The factors which encourage or discourage piracy may differ for subsistence pirates (consisting largely of gangs made up of part-timers who are often poor and seeking an alternative source of income) and professional pirates. Details: Birmingham, UK: GSDRC, University of Birmingham, 2016. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2017 at: http://www.gsdrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/piracy_rohwerder.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Africa URL: http://www.gsdrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/piracy_rohwerder.pdf Shelf Number: 145161 Keywords: Armed RobberyMaritime CrimePiracy/Pirates |
Author: Jimoh, Akinsola Title: Maritime Piracy and Lethal Violence Offshore in Nigeria Summary: The Nigeria Watch (NW) dataset recorded 18,009 fatalities caused by violence in Nigeria's coastal states from 2006 to 2014. During the same period, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) dataset reported less than 20 deaths resulting directly from piracy attacks; however, the IMB does not record all fatal incidents at sea, near the shore, and in the creeks of the Niger Delta, such as gun attacks on oil offshore services and facilities, clashes among youth cult groups, and militant engagements with naval forces. There is indeed a link between onshore and offshore violence. The spatial distribution of fatalities confirms it. Hence coastal local governments in Lagos State - namely, Apapa, Badagry, and Eti-Osa - accounted for the highest number of offshore deaths, according to NW, among costal states in Nigeria during the period 2006-2014. As for the IMB data, it also shows that most piracy attacks occurred in locations around Lagos, especially at Apapa Port. Details: Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria: IFRA Nigeria, IFRA Institute of African Studies University of Ibadan, , 2015. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: IFRA-Nigeria working papers series, no. 51; Accessed May 26, 2017 at: http://www.nigeriawatch.org/media/html/WP2Jimoh.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Nigeria URL: http://www.nigeriawatch.org/media/html/WP2Jimoh.pdf Shelf Number: 145819 Keywords: Maritime CrimePiracy/PiratesViolent Crime |
Author: Randrianantenaina, Jean Edmond Title: Maritime Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships: Exploring the Legal and the Operational Solutions. The Case of Madagascar Summary: Maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships are one of the contemporary challenges of the maritime industry. These two phenomena have a global impact on maritime trade and security. Nowadays, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean are considered high risk areas in terms of piracy and armed robbery against ships activities. In this regard, both the international community and the coastal States of the region have deployed every effort to try to find ways to address the problem. Being part of the region, Madagascar faces the same challenges like the coastal States of the Eastern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean region in terms of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships threat level, and the organization as well as the response capacity to tackle these crimes. The following research paper proposes a piracy response model for Madagascar by analyzing the manifestation of the modern maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships, the existing international and national legal framework on the matter, the experiences of the international community and regional coastal States in addressing the Somalia case and the current operational arrangement Madagascar in addressing the issue. Considered to be at the basis of any solutions to maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships, the legal and the operational aspects are thoroughly discussed. The first part of the research paper analyzes the international legal framework on maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships, the national legislation models of Madagascar's neighboring countries on the matter, and the existing Malagasy legal framework. Recommendations are proposed to reform the legislation and the necessity of improving the judicial capacity. The second part of the research paper focuses on how to improve the operational arrangement to combat maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships in Madagascar by looking at the international and regional operational initiatives in the Eastern Africa and Indian Ocean Region, assessing the current operational response of Madagascar and suggesting solutions for the improvement. It is acknowledged that without political will and support the legal and operational solutions will not be efficient and achieved. Throughout the research paper, the intricacy of addressing maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships and the necessity of federating and integrating several components are highlighted, moreover the value of coordination and cooperation at the national, regional and international levels is underlined. Details: New York: United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, 2013. 197p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 27, 2017 at: http://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/unnff_programme_home/fellows_pages/fellows_papers/Randrianantenaina_1213_Madagascar.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Madagascar URL: http://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/unnff_programme_home/fellows_pages/fellows_papers/Randrianantenaina_1213_Madagascar.pdf Shelf Number: 145826 Keywords: Armed Robbery Against ShipsMaritime CrimeMaritime PiracyPiracy/Pirates |
Author: Anele, Kalu Kingsley Title: The Economic Effect of Piracy in Nigeria: An Overview of the Fishing Industry Summary: The fishing industry plays a crucial role in the economic development of Nigeria. Aside from providing revenue for the government, the fishing sector also provides employment for the teeming population in the coastal states in Nigeria, as well as being a rich source of food for the country. Thus, the challenges posed by piracy to the fishing industry, as well as other economic activities in Nigeria, must be reduced to the barest minimum in other to continue to benefit from this natural resource. With the aid of data, pictograms, conventions, United Nations Security Council resolutions, soft laws and opinions of writers, this paper examines piracy and its effects on the fishing industry in Nigeria. The paper further interrogates the causes, consequences and challenges in combating piracy in Nigeria with a view to proffering countermeasures to this maritime crime. The paper concludes by reiterating the fact that Nigeria must domesticate and implement relevant international instruments on maritime security and other related conventions, and make use of the instrumentality of regional cooperation in combating piracy in other to protect the fishing industry in the country. Details: s.l.: The Author, 2014. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2019 at: https://www.academia.edu/15605579/The_Economic_Effect_of_Piracy_in_Nigeria_An_Overview_of_the_Fishing_Industry Year: 2014 Country: Nigeria URL: https://www.academia.edu/15605579/The_Economic_Effect_of_Piracy_in_Nigeria_An_Overview_of_the_Fishing_Industry Shelf Number: 155025 Keywords: Fishing IndustryMaritime CrimePiracy/Pirates |