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PIRACY ON THE HIGH SEAS-2009
Every year IMO celebrates World
Maritime day. The exact date is left
to individual Government/organisations,
but is usually celebrated during the
last week in September. The day is
used to focus attention on the
importance of Shipping Safety,
Maritime Security and the Marine
environment and to emphasise a
particular aspect of IMO 's work.
25th September marks the 61st
celebration of World Maritime day,
when the International Maritime
Organisation leads the world in
honouring shipping.
The Secretary General in his World
Maritime day message to
International Maritime Community,
stated that IMO 's work has
demonstrated, beyond doubt, that
international standards - developed,
agreed, implemented universally are
the only effective way to regulate
such a diverse and truly
international industry as shipping.
IMO was established by a UN
conference held in Geneva in 1948,
IMO is now in 61 years in the
service of Shipping.
Due to the extensive network of
global regulations that IMO has
developed and adopted over the years
shipping is nowadays a safe and
secure mode of transport, clean,
environmentally friendly, and very
energy-efficient. The IMO bravery
award has gone to a Brazilian
seafarer this year. Master Mariners
Society of Pakistan celebrated the
world maritime day by holding a
Seminar on "Piracy at High Seas",
inaugurated by Chief of Naval Staff
on 28th September at PC Hotel
Karachi, which was largely attended
by Maritime fraternity.
The one-day seminar was well
attended in both sessions and
foreign/Pakistani speakers made
their presentation to combat piracy,
by making risk-assessment,
preparation, implementation of ship
security plan (SSP), conduct during
transiting the high risk area,
actions encountering pirates and
post incident actions and reporting
. All issues were deliberated in
detail to create awareness amongst
seafarers to prevent them becoming
hostage in the hands of pirates,
whilst transiting Gulf of Aden and
Somalian coast.
The message of Secretary General of
IMO was also circulated to the
audience. The international maritime
bureau states that there were 140
approaches and at least 39 vessels
actually detained by pirates in 2008
(source UKMTO). The participants
were educated to make frequent
reference to maritime security
centre - horn of Africa web site
www.mschoa.org for updating and
incident reporting/assistance from
combined tasks force (CJFF-HOA) in
which Pak Navy is also
participating.
The speakers were of general view
that the cause of sea piracy is
based on land and without removing
these factors such as deprivation,
socio-economic inequality and hunger
the world should not think of
getting rid of this menace or be
able to reduce piracy by mere use of
force. It was intriguing as some
speakers disclosed that most of the
deals and negotiations for payment
of ransom money were taken place in
London, where leading lawyers were
engaged to get vessels and hostages
released from the pirates.
Factors of rampant piracy at some of
the major sea routes and narrow
straits were easy access to
high-tech communication equipment
like mobile wireless phones and
automatic weapons such as AK- 47 and
RPGS. Despite the fact that piracy
is the 3rd oldest profession in the
world and according to history even
famous Roman Emperor Julius Caesar
was captured and thereafter released
by pirates. Pirates were actively
involved in 500 B.C.
Despite all above in today's
civilised world it has assumed
unprecedented activity with Gulf of
Aden heavily infected with Somali
Pirates and navies have partially
failed to eliminate this menace
despite presence of combined Naval
Task Force. A foreign speaker was of
the view that anyone who thought
piracy, especially in Somalia
context, as some deprived tribal
group of disenfranchised people
seeking social equality, or other
lofty ideals is living in fool's
paradise.
There was divergence of views
expressed by all speakers as some
thought it is business for Somali
pirates pure and simple, but the
problem for seafarers is that unlike
a normal business transaction, they
are prepared to kill hostages to get
what they want.
It was also disclosed that about 600
Pakistani and Indian seafarers
became hostage and even now about
2/300 seafarers are held as hostages
in Somalia and perhaps not even the
best intelligence agency in the
world exactly know their
whereabouts, some speakers felt that
they do but they don't tell us due
to their own vested interest.
Key Pakistani speakers supported the
measures taken by IMO and UN but
insisted that world may address the
core issue of poverty alleviation,
stability in Somalia. It was also
expressed that whilst supporting
IMO/U N measures, a caveat to their
resolution is imperative to bar the
foreign shipping trawlers sweeping
the Somalian economic zone, thus
depriving the poor fishermen of
their catch for earning livelihood,
otherwise more fishermen will be
hooked to the business of piracy.
Final recommendations were drafted
and presented in the concluding
session for the government, but is
anybody listening or will bother to
take up issues of the trauma
suffered by the families of
Pakistani or other hostage seafarers
to the IMO/UN. The event has been
well-publicised by the media and
maritime webs world-wide.
Maritime fraternity is indebted to
the good media coverage by the
electronic and print media, however
the champions of human rights in
Pakistan, totally neglect to raise
the issue of Pakistani seafarers
lost as hostages and the trauma of
their families. This issue deserves
coverage as seafarers remit about 70
million USD by working on foreign
vessels. I am quite sure that the
media will now highlight the problem
of hostages, so that powers are
persuaded to assist the families of
hostages.
Recommendations:
The International Conference on
Piracy on the High Seas was held at
Karachi on Monday, 28th September
2009 under aegis of Master Mariners
Society of Pakistan (MMSP). A number
of international and national
speakers with expertise in their
chosen fields participated in the
Conference and presented their
Papers, in addition to the Keynote
address by Capt. Raffat Zaheer.
The Conference had great
participation from the seafaring
community particularly Master
Mariners and Ship Engineers, who
enthusiastically participated in
questions and answers session. The
Chief Guest at the inauguration of
the Conference was Admiral Noman
Bashir NI(M) who is also the
Patron-in-Chief of MMSP.
As a result of the Papers presented
and discussions held on topics of
vital importance, the following
recommendations were evolved:-
-
The piracy on the High Seas
represents a high degree of
threat to all seafarers
including Pakistanis in the
pirate infested areas and the
Conference recommends to the
international community and the
national governments to take all
essential and effective steps
for protection of lives and
assets.
-
Shipowners, ship operators, ship
masters and crews must be
encouraged to follow IMO’s
Maritime Safety - Committee
guidelines related to attacks on
ships by pirates, in respect of
preparedness to deal with the
existing threat.
-
The shipping industry must
develop best management
practices to deter piracy and
the ship operators and ship
masters should adopt and
implement the same.
-
Flag states must discourage
carrying and use of fire arms by
seafarers since.
-
The risk of accident with
firearms is great; carriage
on board may encourage
attackers to carry more
dangerous weapons,
escalating an already
adverse situation.
-
Firearms on board may
themselves become an
attractive targets for
pirates.
-
Firearms pose a greater
danger to ship carrying
inflammable or other
dangerous cargo
-
Shipowners and ship operators
may use unarmed security
personnel at their discretion to
provide a degree of protection
to ship crew.
-
Carriage of armed security or
military personnel on board
merchant ship, if so thought
essential, must be duly
authorized by the government of
the flag state and be subject to
flag state legislation.
-
Piracy is a land based activity
and must be tackled ashore. It
does not originate nor foster at
sea. Hence, tackling piracy at
sea only, will not effectively
eliminate such activities.
-
While patrolling in infested
areas the naval ships do have a
deterrent effect, however, this
is not a long term solution to
this menace.
-
Rich and affluent nations must
provide economic aid to the poor
countries, which harbour Pirates
and promote Piracy. Specific
agreements need to be signed
between a consortium of
aid-giving countries and
governments of states of pirates
infested areas, under the
auspices of the United Nations.
The economic aid so provided
must be used exclusively for
development of the area
inhabited by the pirates, for
creating job opportunity for
them and to improve law and
order in the country.
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