Somalia - pirates.
- Thread starter Koeketiene
- Start date
Giblets
Well-Known Member
Classic!
The words "Oh, bother" spring to mind.
The words "Oh, bother" spring to mind.
BlueSkyNick
Well-Known Member
It prompts the idea that the navies could use a dummy merchant ship to attract the blighters, and put the cuffs on as soon as they are on board.
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
The pirates at this time have captured a spanish tuna boat,the spanish have captured two pirates who will be sent to Madrid to be tried.The ship ownersand government oppostion want armed solders aboard to ward off p.The fishing boat was fishing wayout of the protected box so was prey to the pirates.
Plomong
Well-Known Member
Mogy,
Almost all fishing is outside the protected box, which is around the straits leading into the Red Sea, it would seem. The tuna boat was captured about 1000 nm further south, and about 400 nm out from the coast. That kind of attacke could only be carried out from some kind of mother ship, IMHO.
And just a minor point -- the tuna boat captured by somali pirates last week is a Basque vessel, registered in Bermeo and locally owned, called "Alakrana", not El Alacrán as reported widely in many Spanish media.
Almost all fishing is outside the protected box, which is around the straits leading into the Red Sea, it would seem. The tuna boat was captured about 1000 nm further south, and about 400 nm out from the coast. That kind of attacke could only be carried out from some kind of mother ship, IMHO.
And just a minor point -- the tuna boat captured by somali pirates last week is a Basque vessel, registered in Bermeo and locally owned, called "Alakrana", not El Alacrán as reported widely in many Spanish media.
WindermereColvic
Well-Known Member
BBC Website said:
Why not Repelled the attack and blew them to bits?
binch
Well-Known Member
Piracy and slavery
We hae had problems with pirates for decades, if not centuries.
In 1950, I navigated a frigate on anti-piracy patrols between Cape Guardafui and Mombasa. We found that the only way to suppress this trade was a ruthless destruction of the pirate boats, not only at sea but in the harbours that sheltered them. We could stop the trade and go and do something else for a few months and it would re-start.
In my crew I had 16 somali seamen. Somaliland is a wild country and its people are a bit like afghans, not amenable to discipline.
But worse than the piracy was the slavery. Any slave ship approached would immediately throw overboard all the slaves on board. No slaves, no piracy. We tried to charge one dhow's crew but senior K.C.s flown out from London appeared for the defence. We could not apparently prove that those thrown overboard had been slaves (They were immediately eaten by sharks) and no case to answer. In the case of murder on the high seas, this is under the jurisdiction of the flag state. Guess what! The Sheik of the flag state was negotiating an oil deal. We were only poor silly sailors. Get back to sea.
How many experiences like this before one gets to be cynical?
And can you promise me that anything in that lawless country has changed?
We hae had problems with pirates for decades, if not centuries.
In 1950, I navigated a frigate on anti-piracy patrols between Cape Guardafui and Mombasa. We found that the only way to suppress this trade was a ruthless destruction of the pirate boats, not only at sea but in the harbours that sheltered them. We could stop the trade and go and do something else for a few months and it would re-start.
In my crew I had 16 somali seamen. Somaliland is a wild country and its people are a bit like afghans, not amenable to discipline.
But worse than the piracy was the slavery. Any slave ship approached would immediately throw overboard all the slaves on board. No slaves, no piracy. We tried to charge one dhow's crew but senior K.C.s flown out from London appeared for the defence. We could not apparently prove that those thrown overboard had been slaves (They were immediately eaten by sharks) and no case to answer. In the case of murder on the high seas, this is under the jurisdiction of the flag state. Guess what! The Sheik of the flag state was negotiating an oil deal. We were only poor silly sailors. Get back to sea.
How many experiences like this before one gets to be cynical?
And can you promise me that anything in that lawless country has changed?
mjcp
Well-Known Member
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
I meant it was not fishing within the area covered by the warship.Lets hope they are rescued safe and sound.
Dyflin
Well-Known Member
surprised the french didn't surrender!!!
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
Dyflin
Well-Known Member
footsoldier
Well-Known Member
surprised the french didn't surrender!!!
That's a bit uncalled-for. France has been the only European country to show any bottle in dealing with these pirates, having mounted some good special-forces operations to release hostages and recover vessels and ransoms.
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
Speaking on a personal note, there seems to be two problems with dealing with piracy off Somalia and the other nearby waters.
Firstly, the lack of any international law that will deal effectively with the pirates. Even caught red handed, there is no recourse to law and the pirates are usually released with confiscation of their weapons etc. They just go and buy some more weapons and its business as usual. The pirates know that if they throw their weapons over the side and protest that they are fishermen, no-one can touch them. What court are you going to take them to?
Secondly the piracy is extremely profitable. The countries are lawless and the subsistence fishing etc that many of these people previously undertook has been denied them by the fish stocks being hoovered up by other nation fishing vessels, with no territorial waters policing by their nation states. (Slight irony in the 'Spanish' fishing boat being boarded by pirates...!) The piracy was initially opportunistic but has proved to be very successful. I hear stories of the pirates being treated as heroes in their local communities.
Firstly, the lack of any international law that will deal effectively with the pirates. Even caught red handed, there is no recourse to law and the pirates are usually released with confiscation of their weapons etc. They just go and buy some more weapons and its business as usual. The pirates know that if they throw their weapons over the side and protest that they are fishermen, no-one can touch them. What court are you going to take them to?
Secondly the piracy is extremely profitable. The countries are lawless and the subsistence fishing etc that many of these people previously undertook has been denied them by the fish stocks being hoovered up by other nation fishing vessels, with no territorial waters policing by their nation states. (Slight irony in the 'Spanish' fishing boat being boarded by pirates...!) The piracy was initially opportunistic but has proved to be very successful. I hear stories of the pirates being treated as heroes in their local communities.
