Ending Somali piracy requires a shift from reliance on security at sea to targeting those on land who enable the lucrative business to thrive, according to the World Bank. Although the number of attacks has markedly fallen since 2011 thanks to tougher security aboard ships and increased Western naval patrols, piracy emanating from the lawless Horn of Africa nation may still cost the world economy about $18 billion a year, the bank said in a report released on Thursday.

Pirates operate far beyond Somalia's waters, disrupting shipping on global routes in the Indian Ocean and into the Red Sea. Since the first reported hijacking in 2005, 149 ships have been seized, raising total ransoms of $315 million-$385 million.

That is a fraction of the amount World Bank in its 218-page report estimates it costs the world economy from distortions to trade prompted by piracy. Other bodies give lower estimates.

But the costs of naval operations, guards on ships, higher insurance and other factors run into billions of dollars.

Piracy incidents have dropped since 2012, but much of that experts attribute to tougher security at sea. Talk among donors of offering alternative livelihoods to pirates have had little impact given that Somalia's government has limited control over the country and a pirate's booty is far higher than other work.

One expert said a pirate who can earn $5,000 in a night's work capturing a ship will not be tempted by fishing classes giving him skills that may earn just a few dollars a day.

"Somalia cannot buy its way out of piracy; nor can the international community rely solely on its law enforcement agencies to defeat pirates, whether at sea or on land," the World Bank said in its study.

Pirates rely on support onshore to conduct negotiations and to secure locations from where they can operate. "In turn, politically powerful figures capture large portions of the profits associated with piracy," the report said.

"Any solution therefore will involve forging a political contract with local stakeholders — a shift in attention, in other words, from the perpetrators to the enablers of piracy."

It said the international community and Somali government needed to tailor development assistance and security initiatives in locations where pirates operate to win support from the local power brokers and their communities.

BUILDING A STATE

The report did not list project proposals. One example it cited was an initiative by a Britain-based non-governmental organization offering social and economic developments to local communities if they help eject pirates and their backers.

"The long-term solution to piracy off the Horn of Africa cannot be dissociated from construction of a Somali state that is viable at both central and local levels," the World Bank said.

Some experts argue that tough security at sea may already be cutting the costs of piracy to the world economy and making it a far less attractive business to both those at sea or on shore.

The Oceans Beyond Piracy advocacy group says the cost to the global economy was $5.7 billion to $6.1 billion in 2012, far lower than the World Bank's estimate.

The World Bank estimates that it would cost between $40,000 and $80,000 to outfit a pirate group. If the chance of a multi-million-dollar ransom is now slimmer and the danger higher due to naval action, those with the cash may look at other ventures.

Alan Cole, regional coordinator for the counter-piracy program of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nairobi, said targeting those funding piracy was one part of the response but not to the exclusion of other aspects.

"It's a combination of things. It's certainly got more dangerous (for pirates) to be at sea," he said. "Coupled with that, there is less coastline available to pirates."

Authorities in Somalia's northern Puntland region have tried to crack down on piracy, while an African Union force has helped deny pirates parts of the south as troops pushed out al Shabaab Islamist militants, a group seen as a beneficiary from piracy.

Cole also pointed to the challenge of going after the organizers on land. He said he was not aware of a single case where a businessman backing piracy ventures was prosecuted, while some 1,200 pirates were now in jail around the world.

"With a crime of this complexity you have got to go after it everywhere," he said. "The international community has had less success in arresting the organizers than it has arresting the young men in the boats. That needs to change."

Source: Reuters

Attacks on two vessels in the past 10 days indicate pirates in the Gulf Guinea are expanding operational range and also becoming increasingly interested in kidnap and ransom.German boxship Hansa Marburg became the latest vessel to be attacked by Nigerian pirates on April 23, south of Bonny.

It is understood that four crew are missing. According to local intelligence, pirates boarded the vessel and seized two Russians and two Filipinos.

The vessel and cargo are understood to be unharmed.

The vessel was en route from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. Liberia- flagged, 2007-built Hansa Marburg is the sole vessel owned by Schiffahrts-Gesellschaft Hansa Marburg and Company.

According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, its P&I insurance is covered by Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association.

Meanwhile, Greece-flagged crude oil tanker Cap Theodora has been attacked twice within a six-day period, according to local intelligence.

On April 16 armed pirates in a skiff approached and fired upon the Euronav-owned tanker off Principe Island, Gulf of Guinea.

According to the report from the International Maritime Bureau, the alarm was raised and distress signals were activated; the fire pump was started; crew went to their emergency stations and citadel; the ship’s speed was increased and evasive manoeuvres were made.

After about 20 minutes the skiff aborted the attack and moved away, leaving the crew and vessel unharmed.

On April 22, Cap Theodora was attacked in position 03.10 N, 007.14 E, according to Dryad Maritime Intelligence.

The vessel was approached by a speedboat with five or six men on board while underway. The men attempted to board the tanker several times. Dryad said the boarding was again thwarted by protective measures enacted by the crew and by defensive manoeuvring.

Dryad said a fishing trawler with a red hull and white superstructure was spotted near by, possibly acting as a mothership.

The tanker continued its voyage with no reported injuries.

Dryad said the defining factor of the first Cap Theodora incident on April 16 was the location of the alleged attack. It added that there were no known pirate groups operating from Principe, furthermore the incident occurred 157 miles south-southwest of Bonny Island.

“If proven correct, this extends the current operational range of groups in the Gulf of Guinea significantly,” it said.

Andrew Varney, director of a private maritime security company operating in the region, Port 2 Port, has linked the three incidents. He said the kidnap of four seafarers from Hansa Marburg indicated a worrying trend for the region.

“That the vessel and cargo were left alone and untouched demonstrates the high-value target that seafarers have become,” Mr Varney said.

The kidnap on board Hansa Marburg occurred equidistant to the attacks on Cap Theodora south of an oil field operated by Total. Mr Varney said: “Hansa Marburg is a container vessel with a low freeboard, greatly increasing the chances for success of a hostile boarding. This latest incident lends credence to the trend of taking vessels underway and the shift to kidnapping seafarers for ransom, as well as cargo theft.”

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) latest quarterly report on Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships recorded a total of 66 incidents worldwide in the first three months of 2013. This is down markedly from the 102 incidents reported for the corresponding period in 2012. 

In the first three months of 2013, four vessels were hijacked, 51 vessels were boarded, seven were fired upon and four reported attempted attacks. Seventy five crew members were taken hostage, 14 kidnapped and one killed.

The Gulf of Guinea represents an area of concern with 15 incidents recorded, including three hijackings. Nigeria accounted for 11 incidents in the region. Guns were reported in at least nine of these attacks. An offshore supply vessel with 15 crew members was also hijacked. One crew member subsequently died as a result of a gunshot wound after his chemical tanker was fired upon at Lagos anchorage. A further 14 crew were kidnapped from four different vessels in Nigeria. At the time of the kidnappings, all the vessels were reported to be underway.

Further west in Africa, three incidents were recorded in the Ivory Coast, including the hijacking of two tankers. In early February, one such tanker was taken while underway, 70 nautical miles (nm) south of Abidjan and routed to Nigerian waters.
On the eastern side of Africa, Somalia recorded five incidents this quarter including the hijacking of a fishing vessel and its 20-member crew. In this case, the crew were freed by naval forces before the vessel reached Somalia. In the Indian Ocean, two vessels were fired upon. There were also two attempted attacks against Aframax sized tankers in the Gulf of Aden. Somali pirates continue to hold five vessels with 60 crew members on board and an additional 17 being held captive on land.

IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan commented: “Although the number of acts of piracy reported in Somalia has significantly decreased, there can be no room for complacency. The drop in reported attacks is due to proactive naval actions against suspect Pirate Action Groups, the employment of privately contracted armed security personnel and the preventive measures used by the merchant vessels (as per latest Best Management Practices  recommendations). The attacks will rise to past levels if the naval presence is reduced or vessels relax their vigilance.”

The threat of Somali piracy remains very present, with a recent incident reported up to 400 nm east off Mogadishu this quarter. Twelve pirates were subsequently apprehended by naval forces after the target vessel managed to successively foil the initial attack.

The presence and response of the navies ensured that a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel was promptly released. These and other interdictions continue to highlight the important role played by the navies in keeping these incidents under control.
Outside of African waters, Indonesia was the country that recorded the highest number of attacks, with 25 incidents. While these were mainly low level thefts, vessels were boarded in 24 of the incidents, highlighting the need for vigilance in these waters. Vessels were either berthed or anchored in 22 of the boarded incidents, and underway in the remaining two. Vessels anchored at Dumai, Balikpapan and Belawan were targeted six, five and three times respectively.

The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC) remains the world’s only manned centre to receive and disseminate reports of piracy and armed robbery 24 hours a day across the globe. As part of the ICC it is an independent body set up to monitor these attacks free of political interference.  

IMB strongly urges all shipmasters and owners to report all actual, attempted and suspicious piracy and armed robbery incidents to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. This is an essential first step in the response chain. The statistics and reports of the IMB PRC act as a catalyst to encourage firm response by government and law enforcement. The services of the IMB PRC are free of cost to ship owners and Masters.

Source: ICC-CCS

Regional Considerations: 
All masters are advised to maintain heightened vigilance when at anchor and when loitering/queuing as there may be a higher likelihood of these vessels being targeted by pirates. The uniform risk to merchant vessels throughout the HRA is a reminder of the need to be alert for such activity at all times. In order to mitigate any vulnerability, it is strongly recommended that all vessels maintain a high state of readiness, implementing BMPs and citadel preparedness, while in the HRA.

Sailing yachts should avoid transiting the HRA. Past activity has shown that pirates will attack both large and small yachts passing their way. Despite the fact that attacks on merchant vessels appear to have decreased, the possibility of attacks and the successful pirating of sailing vessels remains likely due to their vulnerability and the reduction of revenue sources from pirated merchant vessels.

There have been a number of incidents reported to counter-piracy organisations in the HRA involving small craft approaches to merchant vessels. Although these incidents may appear to be piracy related, the majority actually are not and have been assessed as non-piracy related activity common to the pattern of life in the area. This can include fishing, small vessel trade, smuggling and other local traffic.

Fishing vessels may approach a merchant ship to maximize fishing opportunities or to safeguard fishing nets and fishermen may carry small arms. It is not uncommon for fishing vessels to follow merchant and large vessels in order to capitalise on the often increased numbers of fish in the resultant wake. Please note that, if the NATO Shipping Centre assesses an approach or incident to be piracy-related, we will issue relevant warnings.

Weather:
With the onset of the transition period following the North East Monsoon, sea states have become increasingly conducive to piracy operations. 

Piracy Threat:
The threat of piracy against merchant shipping continues throughout the entire HRA. Successful disruptions by naval forces over the past few months, in conjunction with masters’ adherence and implementation of BMP4, have significantly reduced the pirates’ ability to capture vessels. However, pirates are able to act far off the coast of Somalia and are likely in search of vessels of opportunity.

Pirate Tactics: 
Pirate Attack Groups (PAGs) have made “soft-approaches” on merchant ships transiting the HRA. A skiff will often approach a vessel to probe the reactivity of its embarked security team, if present. If they elicit no response, the pirates may then proceed with an attack, sometimes accompanied by a second skiff. This practice seems designed to allow pirates to avoid needless expenditures of ammunition and personal risk without a significant probability of success. 

Continued Vigilance and the use of BMP: 
Merchant vessels are advised to remain vigilant throughout the HRA and ensure that Self Protection Measures are implemented as recommended in BMP4. Prudent and timely implementation of all recommended actions and ship hardening measures in BMP4 can make the critical difference of being approached, attacked, or pirated. NSC would like to remind masters that BMP4 highly recommends maintaining best possible vessel speed when transiting the HRA to deter pirate boardings.

Registration & Incident Reporting: 
As per Section 5 of BMP4, early registration with MSCHOA before entering the HRA and initial and regular reporting to UKMTO are highly recommended to ensure military authorities are aware of a vessel’s passage and vulnerabilities.

It has been observed that some Masters are choosing to phone their Company Security Officer (CSO) first in the event of a piracy incident. However, one of the fundamental requirements of BMP4 is that UKMTO is the primary point of contact for merchant vessels during piracy incidents in the HRA. This aims to avoid unnecessary delay and prevent inaccurate or incomplete information from reaching military commanders. CSOs should ensure their ships’ security plans reinforce the BMP4 recommendation that UKMTO be immediately telephoned at +971 50 55 23215 in the event of any piracy activity. UKMTO will then make it a priority to contact the CSO with any information received whilst ensuring the relevant information reaches the military commanders without delay. Masters should provide as much accurate information as possible. This will ensure the incident can be fully assessed and information is quickly provided to other ships in the area for their awareness and vigilance. 

Masters should provide as much information as possible about the incident. If Masters are able to take pictures and/or video of the suspicious activity safely, please provide these via email to UKMTO at ukmto@eim.ae, NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) at info@shipping.nato.int or MSCHOA at postmaster@mschoa.org. This information will be used by Counter Piracy forces. Pictures supplied from an attack on a merchant vessel have previously led to the rapid release of a pirated dhow.

Source: NATO Shipping Centre

According to a maritime organization, called Oceans Beyond Piracy, piracy in the coast of Somalia costs the world economy around 7 billion dollars. Of these 80 % of all costs are borne by the shipping industries while governments account for 20%. The impact of this maritime crime on Somalia itself is greater since it has greatly hindered the economic development of the country.

International anti piracy experts meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia are recommending that Somalia hastens reforms of its legal system to include anti piracy laws that will have the pirates arrested, convicted and imprisoned in Somali.

At the moment it is reported that 1200 pirates have been arrested and are being held in 21 different countries globally yet majority of them are of Somali origin. Only a third of these are being held by the Somali government.

Anti piracy experts say that although only two piracy cases have been repotted so far this year, this doesn’t mean that maritime crime as a whole has been faced off.

The Somalia government has taken the first step towards combating maritime crimes by developing a strategy, they call the Kampala process.

The Kampala process is an intense discussion held by the Somali people themselves. It involves them working out a maritime strategy for the whole of Somali, looking at the legal issues and trying to harmonize Somalia’s laws. This is what the international community will use as a guide to provide necessary assistance against maritime crimes.

As Somalia looks to reduce crimes at sea it is also being advised to consider reaping from the wealth it has on land.

The anti piracy experts aiding Somalia come from different countries and are grouped into four contact groups, each tackling specific agenda towards ensuring maritime security off the coast of Somalia.

Source: PressTv

Since 2008, Somali pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden have made about $120 million per year in net profits. But they’ve cost the shipping industry far, far more than that — between $900 million and $3.3 billion per year.

That’s according to an offbeat recent paper by Timothy Besley, Thiemo Fetzer and Hannes Mueller that tries to break down the economics of Somali piracy. The authors find that piracy has increased shipping costs in the region by 8 percent since attacks ramped up in 2008.

Among other things, the shipping industry has had to pay for armed security, ransoms, safer ships and even taxes for an increased military presence in the region. All told, these extra costs come to between $900 million and $3.3 billion per year. The authors also found a seasonal fluctuation — it’s about 14 percent cheaper to charter a ship through the Gulf of Aden during the summer monsoons, when fewer pirates are out, than during the spring.

As Tim Fernholz points out at Quartz, the numbers here suggest that piracy is an extremely inefficient form of wealth transfer. (Not to mention deadly.) It would be cheaper, though unrealistic, for the shipping industry to just hand over $120 million to the pirates. Alternatively, the authors estimate that just $1.3 billion in extra costs would be enough to employ 1.5 million workers in Somalia at prevailing wages.

Here’s the paper’s conclusion: “The analysis further underlines the difference between organized extraction by the state in the form of taxation and disorganized predation. We estimate that the latter is at least ten times more costly.”

In any case, there’s now a question of whether Somali piracy is still as big a problem as it once was. Recent reports suggest that attacks are down two-thirds since last year. That might be because of all the extra actions taken since 2008 — from stepped-up security on ships to the international armada off the Horn of Africa. Or, as the Economist notes, Somali pirates might just be biding their time during a period of bad weather.

Related: For more on the economics of piracy, here’s a recent paper (pdf) by three European researchers on the strategies used during negotiations. Here’s one summary:

They found that Somali pirates pretend to be more sophisticated than they are, whereas shipowners pretend to be poorer. Nowadays both sides have an interest in a speedy resolution, since a prolonged negotiation incurs costs. For the shipowner, the cargo spoils and the ship goes unused. For the pirates, the captured crew must be fed and the ship guarded. And pirates cannot last long without a resupply ofqat, which is to them as rum is to Captain Jack Sparrow. Settle too quickly, though, and one side or other is likely to get a poor deal.

Source: Washington Post 

NATO Shipping Centre has issued its Weekly Piracy Assessment for period 13-20 March 2013. During this reporting period, there were no significant event to report. NSC advices the following: All masters are advised to maintain heightened vigilance when at anchor and when loitering/queuing as there may be a higher likelihood of these vessels being targeted by pirates.

The uniform risk to merchant vessels throughout the HRA is a reminder of the need to be alert for such activity at all times. In order to mitigate any vulnerability, it is strongly recommended that all vessels maintain a high state of readiness, implementing BMPs and citadel preparedness, while in the HRA. Although sea states in some regions have become marginal with the onset of the Northeast Monsoon, small boats are still able to operate.

Recently, there have been a number of incidents reported to Counter Piracy organisations in the HRA involving small craft approaches to merchant vessels. Although these incidents may appear to be piracy related, the majority actually are not and have been assessed as non-piracy related activity common to the pattern of life in the area. This can include fishing, small vessel trade, smuggling and other local traffic. Please note that, if the NATO Shipping Centre assesses an approach or incident to be piracy-related, we will issue relevant warnings and alerts, keeping the merchant shipping community fully informed at all times

During the past few months there have been continued reports concerning suspicious activity in the HRA. Fishing activity is expected to continue in this area. Fishermen may carry small arms. Masters are reminded to remain cognisant of this in order to distinguish between fishing vessels and potential pirates.

Continued threat: The threat of piracy against merchant shipping continues throughout the entire HRA . Despite the deterioration in conditions associated with the Northeast Monsoon season, sea states remain conducive to piracy operations and are expected to be even more favourable from mid-March with the onset of the spring transition. Successful disruptions by naval forces over the past few months, in conjunction with masters' adherence and implementation of BMP4, have significantly reduced the pirates' ability to capture vessels. However, pirates are able to act far off the coast of Somalia and are likely in search of vessels of opportunity, such as those who are not employing BMP4 recommended Ship Protection Measures.

Need for continued vigilance and use of BMP: Merchant vessels are advised to remain vigilant throughout the HRA and ensure that Self Protection Measures are implemented as recommended in BMP4. Prudent and timely implementation of all recommended actions and ship hardening measures in BMP4 can make the critical difference of being approached, attacked, or pirated. NSC would like to remind masters that BMP4 highly recommends maintaining best possible vessel speed when transiting the HRA to deter pirate boardings.

Registration: As per Section 5 of BMP4, early registration with MSCHOA before entering the HRA and initial and regular reporting to UKMTO are highly recommended to ensure military authorities are aware of a vessel's passage and vulnerabilities.

Reporting of incidents: It has been observed that some Masters are choosing to phone their Company Security Officer (CSO) first in the event of a piracy incident. However, one of the fundamental requirements of BMP4 is that UKMTO is the primary point of contact for merchant vessels during piracy incidents in the HRA. This aims to avoid unnecessary delay and prevent inaccurate or incomplete information from reaching military commanders. CSOs should ensure their ships' security plans reinforce the BMP4 recommendation that UKMTO be immediately telephoned at +971 50 55 23215 in the event of any piracy activity. UKMTO will then make it a priority to contact the CSO with any information received whilst ensuring the relevant information reaches the military commanders without delay. Masters should provide as much accurate information as possible. This will ensure the incident can be fully assessed and information is quickly provided to other ships in the area for their awareness and vigilance. If Masters are safely able to take pictures and/or video of the suspicious activity, please provide these via email to UKMTO at ukmto@eim.ae, to the NSC (NATO Shipping Centre) at info@shipping.nato.int and to the Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) at postmaster@mschoa.org. This information will be used by Counter Piracy forces to combat piracy activity.

Pirate Tactics: A PAG tactic is to make "soft-approaches" on merchant ships transiting the HRA. A skiff will often approach a vessel in order to probe the reactivity of an embarked security team, if present. If no response, the pirates may proceed with an attack, sometimes accompanied by a second skiff. This practice is likely more economical as pirates avoid needless expenditures of resources, such as ammunition, and personal risk without a significant probability of success.

Sailing vessels: Sailing yachts should avoid transiting the HRA. Past activity has shown that pirates will attack both large and small yachts passing their way. Despite the fact that attacks on merchant vessels appear to have decreased, the possibility of attacks and the successful pirating of sailing vessels remains likely due to their vulnerability and the reduction of revenue sources from pirated merchant vessels.

Source: NSC

A number of international maritime groups have welcomed the recent decrease in the number of attempted and successful attacks against ships by Somalia based pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean.They include the International Maritime Organization, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), BIMCO, the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO), the International Parcel Tankers Association (IPTA), and the International Shipping Federation (ISF).

This decrease may be attributed to a combination of factors, including the presence of naval forces disrupting pirate operations; implementation of self-protection measures on board merchant ships and better situational awareness of where the threats are; coupled with more effective action ashore in Somalia by the Somali authorities and the international community.

The above mentioned Organizations remain convinced that the only long term solution to piracy is to establish effective government and implement the rule of law ashore in Somalia. However, until that is achieved, there can be no room for complacency. Any reduction in the level of protection of merchant ships could lead to a resurgence of pirate activities. Piracy must continue to be suppressed through the visible presence of and robust action by, the world’s navies, consistent with international law.

The Organizations therefore urge shipowners, shipping companies, ship operators, masters and crews to continue to take all appropriate and recommended measures to protect their ships and those on board from pirates and armed robbers, through sustained and full implementation of the relevant IMO guidance and industry developed Best Management Practices for protection against Somalia based piracy (BMP4).

Source: Maritime Journal

Somalia’s president has offered an amnesty to pirates, in a move that risks angering countries that have paid millions in ransoms.President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told the AFP newswire he had offered clemency in a bid to end attacks off the Horn of Africa nation’s coast.Mr Mohamud said: “We have been negotiating with the pirates indirectly through the elders. Piracy has to end.”

A significant number of the pirates who operate off the Horn of Africa – disrupting international trade routes – are suspected of living in Somalia.

Piracy is thought to cost global trade more than £4bn a year and has also led to the deaths of dozens of sailors and some tourists.

David Tebbutt, 58, from Bishop’s Stortford, Herts, died at the hands of Somali pirates after he and his wife Judith were kidnapped from the resort they were staying at in Kenya in 2011.

Paul and Rachel Chandler, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, who were seized near the Seychelles in 2009, spent 388 days in captivity before they were released unharmed.

Judith Tebbutt’s husband was killed by pirates
At the time of Judith Tebbutt’s eventual release in May 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated the Government’s pledge that they do not make concessions to hostage-takers.

According to the campaign group Saveourseafarers, 62 of the 3,500 seafarers who have been taken captive by pirates in a four-year period have died.

The group says many have been tortured and left traumatised.

Seven boats and 113 hostages are currently held by Somali pirates, but more than 570 ships have been attacked in the last five years.

The British Navy is one of the forces from a number of countries which patrols the waters around the Horn of Africa to protect ships.

Britain currently has four ships based in the region on anti-pirate manoeuvres as part of Operation Ocean Shield. The US has 13 ships, including two aircraft carriers.

The number of attacks has gone down, but the ships taking part still regularly engage in small scale conflicts with pirates operating in the area.

Paul and Rachel Chandler spent over a year in captivity
Piracy has escalated because of the rewards available with major international companies and insurance firms paying millions of pounds in ransoms to armed gangs who seize ships.

The exact number of pirates in Somalia is not known, but it is thought to be hundreds, if not thousands.

The more stable regions of the country including Puntland in the northeast and Somaliland in the northwest have both taken measures to combat the problem with mixed success.

But in the war-torn south, the industry has boomed as the government has been tied up fighting an extremist Islamic insurgency, said to be linked to the problem.

A British House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee report in 2012 recommended that special anti-piracy courts should be set up in neighbouring states like Kenya, to tackle the issue.

It is not known whether the proposed amnesty would apply to those already arrested for suspected piracy or just those who are active pirates who have yet to be detained.

The six-month old government of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud – Somalia’s first to be elected since 1991 – is slowly establishing a more peaceful, stable country, but it still has major law and order problems.

The president said that he wanted to offer an “alternative means of earning a living” to young Somalis who have taken up the gun to join pirate gangs.

The amnesty was not open to pirate kingpins, he said – those who take the vast majority of the profits from the attacks – some of whom are wanted by Interpol.

“We are not giving them amnesty, the amnesty is for the boys,” he said.

Source: SKy News

On 24 February 2013, whilst on counter piracy patrols in the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) the Force Commander of EU NAVFOR, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, met with the Commander of the NATO counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield, Rear Admiral Antonio Natale.

The meeting between the two force commanders was an opportunity to discuss and reaffirm the high level of co-operation that exists between the two forces fighting against piracy off Somalia. Both Rear Admiral García de Paredes and Rear Admiral Natale stressed the importance of maintaining the information sharing and co-ordination between EU NAVFOR and NATO.

Speaking about the meeting held onboard EU NAVFOR  flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez, Rear Admiral García de Paredes said: "Both the EU Naval Force and NATO understand that we need to maintain the pressure on pirates operating off the coast of Somalia. The recent apprehension of two separate pirate groups in the Somali Basin clearly shows that pirates are still active. For this reason, counter-piracy forces and seafarers sailing through the High Risk Area cannot lower their guard. There is no room for complacency".

Source: EUNAVFOR