Pirate-dodging
Piracy is a growing problem in the Gulf of Aden
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Saturday, 06, Dec 2008 12:00
Avoiding pirate attacks can be a pain for commercial container ship captains, so inthenews.co.uk has compiled a set of advice to keep those pirates at bay.
Attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast of the Indian Ocean are a growing problem for the international community.
The number of hijacking attempts may reach 100 before the end of the year as shipping firms pay out huge ransoms for the safe return of their captured ships and crew.
Fortunately help is at hand. Anti-piracy measures used so effectively by British ships, which tend to be more modern, efficient and well-operated, could easily be adopted more widely by those on the high-risk seas off Somalia.
Step one: get a big ship. It stands to reason that the bigger, faster ships are the best-equipped to resist an attempted hijacking. Vessels with a higher freeboard - the height difference between the waterline and the ship's side - are naturally harder for pirates to clamber on to.
If step one proves difficult, all is not lost. Most shipping firms are now deciding the best option is to divert their smaller vessels round Africa and the Cape of Good Hope in an expensive 3,000-mile detour. But there are still measures which can be taken if you decided to run the gauntlet.
Firstly, even if it is horribly obvious, a good lookout is always worth keeping. Marauding skiffs often originate from apparently innocent fishing vessel fleets but there is always scope for quick evasive action if sufficient warning is received.
Ships can go fast. Ships can change direction. Ships can take advantage of the sea state to make pirates' boarding more difficult.
There are also "common sense shipboard procedures which can be followed", according to the Chamber of Shipping's head of international policy Gavin Simmonds.
Pirates are less likely to attack a ship if it is clear the crew are manning the decks and watching the pirates. So if they come too close, a well-placed hose can fill their boats with water. Objects can even be thrown over the side in a bid to distract them or even scare them off.
"Generally by being alert and around and on the upper deck you show you're not a soft touch. Pirates will then go off after easier pickings," Mr Simmonds said.
If none of the above succeed in deterring pirates from attempting a boarding all is still not lost. Now is the time to deploy the range of handy piracy-deterring gadgets available on the market.
Not that the weapons available to commercial ships should be taken lightly. Take the long-range acoustic device (LRAD). This formidable weapon is capable of emitting a painful wave of sound which can have the impact of bursting eardrums - enough to make any pirate turn tail.
Then there are the security measures which would be far from surprising if they were put in place around a stationary warehouse on land. Anti-slip grilles and security fencing are effective options; an electrified fence would also do the trick.
With all of the above in place even the most concerned container ship captain would surely be feeling fairly confident in their ability to resist piratical attack. Not all can afford these, however, while many smaller ships aren't suitable for them all.
That's why an increasing number are resorting to measures very specifically opposed by the Chamber of Shipping: embarking armed security staff to help fight off pirates.
One option is the type of services offered by Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions, which offers protection for commercial ships.
Teams of three are embarked at either Jeddah or Salalah for a passage through the danger zone, along with equipment including the LRAD. They "organise ships' equipment, torches, hoses/axes etc", in a bid to "make the passage of merchant ships. as simple as possible without the need for the ship's safety and security of crew becoming a headache".
Crucially, this Dorset-based firm operates on non-lethal terms. Other less professional outfits are available from the African coast and even Somali gunmen are frequently used to deter pirates.
Mr Simmonds warns paying such mercenaries is fraught with difficulties. Different countries have different rules, of course, but in general the carriage of weapons is frowned upon at the very least.
"If you're carrying weapons on board you're likely to exacerbate any change of fire with the pirates to your own detriment," he said.
"You're increasing the risk of an exchange of fire and of casualties on both sides."
There is a limit, therefore, to the steps commercial ships should take, therefore. After all, it is not the responsibility of merchant ships to ensure their protection against pirates in these terms. Instead the world's governments should be the ones ensuring this safety.
This concept struck me most when I asked Mr Simmonds whether he agreed with the suggestion of enhanced military air power over the Gulf of Aden.
It's up to the military to come up with appropriate solutions to the problem, he pointed out. Such issues are nothing to do with innocent merchant ships at all.
"It's much better you stick better with the concept of the innocent merchant ship," he explained.
"It's not for merchant ships to do anything more than the pragmatic low-level things - not provide armed teams to fight off pirates."
So don't get too carried away when arranging measures to ensure the security of your vessel - or you might find pirates getting into the spirit of things a little unwelcome.
Alex Stevenson