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The last gasp

The last gasp. Of all the man-made threats that lurk upon the seas, without doubt the most frightening is coming face-to-face with armed men intent on boarding your vessel. In simple terms, someone – somewhere – was attacked by pirates today, and it’s almost certain that violence was involved

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The last gasp

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  1. The last gasp

  2. Of all the man-made threats that lurk upon the seas, without doubt the most frightening is coming face-to-face with armed men intent on boarding your vessel. In simple terms, someone – somewhere – was attacked by pirates today, and it’s almost certain that violence was involved • Daniel Sekulich

  3. he used to say that a friend would be more grateful if he gave him back what he had taken than if he had never taken it • Herodotus

  4. Pirates are the most hated enemies of Rome, and not just of Rome, but of all mankind • Cicero

  5. Queen Teuta • “It is an ancient custom of the land of the Illyians and of its rulers that the queen does not interfere with the actions of her private citizens taking plunder on the sea”

  6. The Vikings • Pirates to Empire Builders

  7. Crescent and the Cross

  8. Singe the king of Spain’s beard

  9. “My Lord, it is a very harsh sentence. For my part, I am the Innocentest of them all, only I have been sworn against by perjured persons”

  10. If anyone is willing I would be happy to receive electronic versions of your papers Request

  11. So what is piracy? • Any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends … on the high seas • From Article 101 of 1982 UN Convention on the law of the Sea • (UNCLOS) • Any act of boarding or attempting to board any ship with the apparent attempt to commit theft or any other crime with the apparent intent or capability to use force on the furtherance of that act • International Maritime Bureau • IMB

  12. Or is it • Worlds longest running conflict • A de-facto low-level war against a community that has been going on since ancient times • That community: mariners • Community with own history and traditions

  13. IMB is to piracy today what Captain Johnson is to piracy of golden age • first and best resource • Part of International Chamber of Commerce • Based in Paris • IMB founded in London in 1981 • Headquarters in sight of execution dock

  14. 1992 opened Piracy Reporting Centre – PRC • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  15. Non profit • Non governmental organization • Collects info from • Shipping industry • Government organizations • Media • Individual mariners • Before them no one was gathering info • Makes info easily and freely available to everyone • IMB Piracy Reporting Centre

  16. Director IMB PottengalMukundan Attacks steadily go up

  17. In 1994 there were only 90 actual or attempted attacks reported to us, but by 2000 that figure had risen to 469. • The attacks went down a bit in 2005-2006, but then began to increase again: we had 198 attacks in the first nine month of 2007, up 14% from the same period a year earlier • large number of attacks which go unreported

  18. Down in 2005-2006 why? • Indonesian Tsunami • Rise in 2007 why • Partially • failure of harvest in failed state • Somalia

  19. But first I want to stay in the Americas • And look at two areas • Caribbean • Brazil • IMB Piracy Reporting Centre

  20. 1970s-1980s peak period in Caribbean for what became known as Yachtjacking • Not just the Caribbean but also Gulf of Mexico, Baja California • Early 1970s • Yacht Lupitafound wrecked on an island in Gulf of California • Believed that two american couples on board killed • By “American students” needing jobs • Used for single drug run north

  21. Usual way of attack • Not boat to boat • Rather owners/operators of yachts hired young “students” needing work and ride back to USA • Then in effect a mutiny • traditional method of gaining a ship for piracy

  22. Coverage in US newspapers heightened concern • Numbers as high as 2000 murdered • 610 boats lost • In reality • It did happen • Was brutal • but not to these levels • Accidents • Storms • Insurance scams • All played part in raising numbers

  23. 1996 Klaus Hympendahl , founded • International Centre for Blue Water Sailors • Recorded about 200 attacks on yachts  • believes, however, many more go unreported.

  24. But it did and does still happen • 5 December 2001 • 8 armed and hooded pirates boarded the schooner Seamaster near the mouth of the Amazon River  • Believed passengers were wealthy tourists • One fought back  Sir Peter Blake • twice won the America’s Cup • died from bullet wounds  • Police captured 7 who were sentenced to thirty-seven years in prison.

  25. May 2005, two American yachts • Gandalf and Mahdi • Rodney J. Nowlin and Jay Berry • attacked off coast of Yemen • Two fishing boats • each with two men aboard approached • fired AK-47s at the Gandalf. 

  26. “I saw bullet holes in the mast, the spray hood over the cockpit and in the rubber dinghy.  They were shooting to kill, not to warn.”  • While one ship radioed for help from American naval ships in the area • The other tried to outrun the pirates  • Realized the futility of the attempt • rammed his steel-hulled boat into one fishing boat

  27. Severely damaged one boat and injured two of the attackers.  • “The ones in the other boat approached [the] stern, still shooting, and were trying to climb on board.” • At that point the sailor in the other yacht fired his shotgun, injuring the other two pirates, • Both Yachts then fled the area.

  28. Brazil Most often took place in ports not on high seas • 1996 28 cases in Central and South America • Of which 20 in Brazil

  29. 1996 • May 7 armed pirates boarded Greece • Bulk carrier • Injured two crew members • stole $15,000 cash • July KaptainBetkher • Bulk Carrier • Six pirates boarded ships • Beat and stabbed captain • Stole $20,000 cash

  30. At this time • Brazil was one of the most dangerous place for pirate attacks • Combination of • Laxness in security • Government corruption • Organized crime • Lack of coast guard

  31. The last day….. But first

  32. PRC • Based in Kuala Lumpur • Home of the Petronas towers • In the shadow of these towers a regular office block is home to PRC • A tiny facility • Headed by Noel Choong

  33. Including Choong the staff of the PRC is 3 • 3 people monitoring piracy of the world • Do not organize rescues or deploy response teams but are • “first point of contact for mariner in trouble, They will contact us when an incident arises and we then relay that information to the relevant sources available” • Noel Choong

  34. Not only a collection and information point • Spend time trying to get • governments and shipping industries • to take a more active position against piracy • Indonesian government recently attacked them over number of listed attacks in their waters

  35. through their work that • Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore governments work together • In the Strait of Malacca to make it safer for big ships

  36. Strait Stats • 50,000 vessels year • 1/3 global commerce • ½ planets oil trade • 155 miles wide at northern end • 40 miles wide at southern end • Shipping lanes narrow to 1 mile wide in places • i.e. ships have to slow down

  37. Pirates captured the Cherry 201 in January 2004 • Tanker sailing from South Africa to Indonesia  • Demand $10,000 • Ship owner only paid a portion • pirates killed four hostages. • ship owners can hire naval security firms like Background Asia Risk Solutions. 

  38. Based in Singapore, conducted about six escort missions each month • $100,000 per mission • Ransom rate for kidnapped captain in the waters off Singapore?  • average $120,000 to get him released

  39. Alan Chan, • owner of Petroships in Singapore • Lost oil tanker to Indonesian pirates in 1999.  • He estimated that insurance premiums jumped about 30% • between then and 2001 • Tallied cost of piracy at about $500 million a year • 2002 estimated price tag of piracy to world trade reached ????? 

  40. Shipowner at the Fourth International Meeting of Piracy and Phantom Ships in Malaysia in June 2001, said • “It has been estimated that losses in piracy amount to about sixteen billion dollars U.S. • The total sum of sixteen billion means roughly • two and half dollars for every human being.  • That is for one year and that is the cost to the world.”

  41. PRC send out daily • Sit-reps at zero hours GMT everyday • They break piracy down into three groups • A) Large criminal cartels • B) Smaller localized groups • C) Opportunists • All three operate in the Strait

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