It is time to take effective action and eradicate piracy
Asian ship owners have expressed their impatience, anger and frustration at the ever-increasing number of attacks on ships and seafarers by Somali pirates.
Somali Piracy and ship hijackings have become rampant since the collapse of Somalias central government more than 20 years ago. It is now time to take effective action and eradicate piracy declared Mr Johnson W. Sutjipto, Chairman of the 20th Asian Shipowners Forum (ASF), held in Bali, Indonesia this week.
The forum expressed grave concern that the waters off the coast of Somalia have grown increasingly treacherous as hijackings, kidnappings and extortion have proliferated over the past several years, forcing some shipowners to employ armed guards to ensure the safety of their ships and crews.
It is essential, however, added Robert A Ho, the Acting Chairman of the Ship Insurance and Liability Committee, that the various liabilities, potentially incurred through the carriage of private armed guards on a ship in an attempt to protect its seafarers, are defined. These liabilities should not fall on the master of the ship or the owner, who may have no other option but to consider the employment of armed guards because governments are unable or unwilling to provide the appropriate security.
Pirates were once confined to the waters of the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa, but with each success, they have grown ever more daring and extended their area of operation. It is high time for all governments, the United Nations and the International Maritime Organisation to come together and put an end to these criminal activities! We cannot tolerate nor allow this to continue any longer, added Mr SS Teo, Chairman of the Safe Navigation and Environment Committee.
Yasumi Kudo, Chairman of the Shipping Economics Review Committee emphasised that, Pirates have apparently concluded that the rewards of hijackings far outweigh the risk of capture and punishment. The cost of organised piracy to global trade, estimated to be 7 to12 billion US dollars per annum, is simply unsustainable.
The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre reported that as at May 23, 2011, 26 ships and 522 seafarers were being held hostage off the coast of Somalia, some for extremely lengthy periods.
In recent months there has been an escalation in violence including the murder and torture of seafarers. The psychological impact on seafarers and their families, due to seafarers travelling through the high risk area, is not something to be taken lightly, said Li Shanmin, Chairman of the Seafarers Committee.
ASF agreed to participate in the SaveOurSeafarers (SOS) campaign, which is aimed at raising public awareness of the piracy problem with the overall objective of increasing governments willingness to eradicate piracy.
Source: Baird Maritime
