Counter Piracy was certainly the reason we created a Navy, and shaped their engagement from 1803 to Stephen Decatur in 1815(or so). But the decisive actions in those campaigns happend on land and were executed by Marines.

The at Sea portion of countering piracy is important today as well, but the ocean is a big area. There those who say that we then need to implement a blockade. Well as I recall the coast of Somalia alone is as long as the coast of California. Navy ships are big, pirate "ships" are more like 11M RHIBs. That too is too costly and too much area. Once again we will need to follow the vipers to their nest and kill them there.

Young men are becoming pirates in growing numbers because they escape the norm and gain rockstar-like status and money. Governments turn a blind eye because they are not held accountable for doing so, and also gain money to their weak economies in general, and to their own pockets in particular.

Simple cost/benefit analysis by all. We need an engagement plan where the benefit exceeds the cost; and we (we being the global maritime economy) need to make the cost of being a pirate exceed the benefit. It will always exist, but clearly the current balance is tipped the wrong way.