Fighting Maritime Piracy

FIGHTING MARITIME PIRACYPhilippine Contributions

Presentation Objectives

Overview of the worldwide piracy situation

Some impediments to fighting piracy Philippine contributions to the fight

against maritime piracy

WORLDWIDE PIRACY SITUATION

The growth of piracy in the Somali Basin since the turn of the century demonstrates how much this problem has turned into a global menace.

In the past 30 years, the maritime community witnessed more than 3,500 piratical attacks worldwide.


A. Horn of Africa

A. Horn of Africa

At the close of 2011, a decline in piracy attacks reported


A. Horn of Africa

Decline could be seen as a vindication of the international naval presence in piracy hotspots, particularly the Gulf of Aden


A. Horn of Africa

UNSC extended range of multinational anti-piracy efforts towards Somalia’s coastal waters and even towards parts of its land drastically reduced the pirates’ safe haven for escape


A. Horn of Africa


B. West Africa


B. West Africa


A UN Office on Drugs and Crime report said that pirates now have taken control over coastal areas in

Benin, the small nation that borders Nigeria and Togo.

B. West Africa


Hijackings off West Africa, pirates are usually after the cargo rather than ransom money as is the case

in Indian Ocean hijackings by Somali pirates.

C. Southeast Asia Pirate attacks in SEA

littoral states have increased. Attacks in May 2011 spiked the highest with 15 incidents.

Attacks in SEA are lower than those off Somalia but there have recently been a few cases of hijacking and ransom. As Somalia shows, once pirates know their demands can be made without reprisals, the level of hijacking, kidnap and ransom will only increase.


C. Southeast Asia

Piracy in the region appears opportunistic, often theft from ships anchored in ports such as Jakarta in Java and Samarinda in Borneo.

The Straits of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca used to be the most heavily attacked area, but the littoral countries coordinated piracy patrols reduce attacks.


C. Southeast Asia Recently, SEA waters noted a

sudden spur in pirate attacks. The IMB called on authorities

and ships to be vigilant and sustain its strict anti-piracy watch.

Pirates in Aceh revealed the emergence of new pirate criminal syndicates in the region.


IMPEDIMENTS TO FIGHTING PIRACY


1. Political Weak governance. The roots of piracy stem from the political

insecurity that has plagued weak countries. Insurgency. Weak states have allowed a plethora of syndicates and even

insurgent groups to flourish. Clan-based power groups. Piratical acts are carried out with the

implicit cooperation of local power-brokers on land. Flawed legitimacy. Pirates justify piratical activities, and rationalize

support for piratical activities, because of illegal fishing and alleged toxic dumping done off-shore.

2. Economic

No rewarding alternatives exist on land. Piracy is not a way of life in any Somali or Indonesian coastal village, but an income-generating industry that evolved because of the lack or absence of economic inputs critical to the development of said areas.

Piracy-fuelled money laundering. A key driver in the rise of maritime piracy is the stability of business networks overseas that finance piracy operations, manage the cash flow in pirate-infested areas and into neighbouring countries and other distant points.


3. Operational Sustainability of counter-piracy forces. The size of pirate-infested

waters presents a huge geographical challenge to counter-piracy operations.

Flawed catch-and-release policy. Due to perceived legal uncertainties, many countries are not eager to prosecute pirates at their own courts.

Rules on on-board weapons of ship security teams. The countries around the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea have not standardized their rules regarding bringing of weapons aboard merchant vessels into ports.


PHILIPPINE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY


700,000 Filipinos seafarers crew merchant ships, manning at least 20% of international commercial vessels

Estimated 340,00 to 380,000 Filipino seafarers are aboard merchant ships that pass through the high risk areas of the Gulf of Aden and South China Sea chokepoints

PHL - 3rd largest source of seafarers

Contribute annually some US$ 10 billion to the country’s economy.

769 Filipino sailors seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean (2006-2011)


1. PHL criminalizes piracy as an act of terrorism under Human Security Act

2. PHL National Security Policy of 2011-2016 labeled maritime piracy as transnational crime that requires international cooperation

3. Consider a US proposal to prosecute pirates under PHL jurisdiction

4. Given Manila-flagged merchant vessels the go-ahead to deploy private security groups


5. PHL and USA forged Memo of Cooperation on Maritime Counter-Piracy Training and Education

6. PHL government made arrangements with ships’ foreign principals and local manning agencies to travel along the IRTC

7. Established National Coast Watch System8. Sent a Liaison Navy Officer (LNO) to the Combined

Maritime Forces (CMF)9. Participate in the 70-nation Contact Group on Piracy off

the Coast of Somalia.


It is incumbent on the Philippine government to fully cooperate with other governments and undertake proactive and reactive measures to minimize the exposure of Filipino seafarers to pirate attacks...

Assist in standardizing the training of crews Continue to participate in the Contact Groups for Piracy in pirate-infested

areas Seek ways to assist in prosecution of pirates with a nexus to the

Philippines Ensure manning agencies are aware of Best Management Practices Join Combined Maritime Forces Pressure Flag States to enforce BMP compliance

CONCLUSION

End of Presentation

Fighting Maritime Piracy

Technology

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