Small Wars at Sea: 21st century piracy

[davidbfpo]

The Independent using a consultancy report has six charts that show the emergence of a 'new pirate era':http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...-10267161.html

The current focal point is, once again, the international waters of the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea, followed by West Africa territorial waters and both share fuel / oil tankers being sought.

Note the plight of seafarers:

there are 38 people currently held hostage around the world....26 seafarers are still held by Somali pirates following the release of four hostages earlier this year; those remaining captives were picked up in March 2012 and their families last heard from them in February 2013.

This the main thread on piracy and another for off Somalia: More Piracy Near Somalia

[davidbfpo]

A laudatory report on a thwarted act of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, once again hijacking a small oil products tanker, but with a couple of sentences that made me pause:http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...aining-mission

First the context:

One-fifth of all maritime crime in the world is committed in the Gulf of Guinea, but that is only the tip of the iceberg since an estimated two-thirds of piracy acts there are never reported...

After eight hours of talking the Nigerian Navy chose another option:

Never has a west African navy carried out an opposed boarding before....(ah, but)...Six pirates were captured and 18 crew members freed. Several pirates escaped with two crew members who remain hostages...

[davidbfpo]

This is a long reach as the ship comes from off Somalia:

South Korea has deployed a naval vessel from its regional anti-piracy effort to help in the search after a fishing boat was hijacked by pirates off Ghana, South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.

Link:https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-so...-idUKKBN1H70D6