The positives of piracy?

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/748867--upside-to-somali-piracy-better-fishing?bn=1

An article in the Toronto Star points out that while piracy has damaged international shipping, it has helped local fishing. Local fishermen are unable to compete with large trawlers, who come from all around the world. One estimate says that the value of illegal fishing is between 90 and 300 million dollars a year - and they clean out the waters, leaving local fisherman who hope to make $12 night struggling. However, as Somali pirates have grown increasingly active in the past years, they have frightened away the illegal fishers, allowing for the quality of life of Kenyan fishermen to raise dramatically.

As Clive Schofield (a 'research fellow with the Australian Centre for Ocean Resources and Security and the University of Wollongong') points out, many of nations who have sent warships to combat piracy have direct connections to the foreign fishing vessels who "steal Somalia's offshore resources."

He writes that "This situation has led some pirates to justify their actions on basis of illegal foreign fishing activities – styling themselves 'coastguards' and characterizing ransom demands as 'fines... Without condoning acts of violence at sea, it is clear that the Somalis who hijack shipping off their coast are in fact not the only 'pirates' operating in these waters".

As delegates prepare of the conference, they must ask themselves why the Somali pirates are the enemies, and not the illegal foreign fishing boats. Indeed, perhaps the crimes of the former will not be resolved without confronting the crimes of the latter as well.

For a good backrounder on piracy in Somalia, as well as the position of several SC members on the issue, see the pdf. file from a former Model UN conference, pages 11-17. http://mun.horacemann.org/hommunc/bgs/HoMMUNC%20XXIV%20SC.pdf

The document file, also from a former Model UN conference, has a good background paper on the issue www.academymodelun.org/committees/tp/DISEC2.doc . It may be particularly usefull to look at the "Questions to Consider":
1. How can the UN work to facilitate cooperation between nations affected by piracy and those with the means to prevent piracy?
2. What methods besides that of UN aid can be used to limit the effects of sea piracy?
3. In what ways can international waters be made safer for trading vessels?
4. Who has the right to determine when and how ones country’s territorial waters should be open to another countries’ military forces?
5. Should crewmembers of cargo ships be entitled to carry firearms?
6. Under which countries’ laws should captured pirates be tried if they are caught in oceans that are not part of a country’s territorial waters?

Expansion of Piracy in Africa

Piracy has continued to be a problem along the coast of Somalia, and has spread to the coasts of India and Nigeria as well. The oil being loaded into ships in Nigerian ports are targeted by the pirates.

Here is a video explaining the current state of piracy in Africa. While the shipping industry has found a way to cope with piracy and proceed with "business as usual," the violence is still an issue that needs to be addressed by the international community.

Modern Warfare, At Sea

While many gamers have recently been enjoying the new title "Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2" navies around the world have been busy coming up with their own forms of modern warfare. The article below gives an interesting look at what could be the warship of the future, at least for the United States.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33431534/ns/us_news-military

West Coast of Africa New Pirate Haven?

A new pirate attack off the coast of Benin highlights the West Coast of Africa as an area of growing maritime violence.

Spanish boat freed

Good news, a Spanish ship has been released by pirates today. This article by the BBC wonders how much ransom was paid and also gives some updates on other naval hostage situations. The ending of this article was particularly interesting as it reveals the complex roots of naval violence.

"Somali pirates, using "mother ships" to launch their small-boat attacks on vessels, have extended their range to an area off the Seychelles in recent months in order to evade the navies patrolling the Horn of Africa.

More than 10 ships and 200 hostages are currently being held by pirates operating in waters off Somalia.

Many of the pirates began as fishermen and say they are stopping illegal foreign fishing boats stealing Somali fish, BBC international development correspondent Mark Doyle reports.

The upsurge in piracy in the region is a consequence of the failure to find a solution to Somalia's political disputes, our correspondent notes.

The weak central government faces an Islamist insurgency and parts of the country have broken away to form autonomous regions."

The BBC also kindly provides this helpful video on how to counter pirate attacks.

Yarrr maties, violence on the seas is a laughing matter

You know I can't say I've ever been a huge fan of South Park, but when I told my friend I was doing some research on piracy in Somalia he informed me that there was a South Park episode on that. Thrown in with the usual vulgarity and jokes (some great some not so much) was a very interesting line delivered by one of the pirates about the truly desperate state these pirates often find themselves in. When it comes down to it, these people are resorting to violence often as a last resort and that is something that the international community seriously has to consider when dealing with them. Say what you will about South Park but their writers can be quite insightful. If their brand of comedy is your thing I recommend taking a look at it. Otherwise if you're a military person or just want to get a better view of the military element of dealing with piracy take a look at this training video from EU NAVFOR.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6-fBCzMCaM&feature=related

for more information on the EU mission check out their website
http://www.mschoa.org/About.aspx