Pinkertons on the high seas
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 12:52AM INTERNATIONAL: "Piracy and private enterprise: Splashing, and clashing, in murky waters," The Economist, 22 August 2009.
Apparently not all ship owners refuse to arm their ships.
We learn that in the shipping security world, some companies will handle your ransom air-drops for you, others will outfit your ship with barb wire and what not to make it harder for pirates to climb aboard, and the most vigorous will put armed guards on board or supply armed escort craft.
Business has tripled for such firms over the last year when it comes to the East African coast (a water zone roughly the size of the U.S., or 9 and a half million square kilometers). Local coast guards are now used to having private security firms plying their waters. As for navies, the division of labor is less clear . . .. About 15 nations have put about 30 warships in that big zone, and plenty still gets by them apparently, so some private-sector backfilling seems inevitable.
Nice quote from John Pike here about how there are a lot of navies looking for direction and purpose, given that their dreams (and past preparations) for big naval battles seems historically out of date.
In the end, the piece concludes with the usual logic that navies plus security firms aren't enough. You have to do something about Somalia.
Reader Comments (2)
One answer to the new pirate types might be to place the convicted ones under control of women guards who made them do 'women's chores' and learn 'women jobs' like sewing machine operators ... to get food better than bread and water. Then show those guys over the internet and other wide networks.
Can't imagine what kind of cruise they might be going on, but I betcha one of the pieces of Baggage might be spelled B A R R E T T . . .