Prosecuting Pirates

Capturing pirates is one thing, but prosecuting them can be a tricky affair. Piracy is an international crime and a global problem, and it is difficult for one country to take on the burden of prosecution.

Failed Pirate Attack

This is a Live Piracy Report from the IMB Piracy Reporting Center

• Attack Number:
  2011/098
• Date:
  Thu Mar 03 2011
• Vessel Type:
  Chemical Tanker
• Location detail:
  Around 12.5nm off Cotonou
• Attack Type:
  Hijacked
• Incident Details:

  03.03.2011: 0300 LT: around 12.5 nm of Cotonou, Benin.

  Fourteen armed pirates in two boats approached and boarded a chemical tanker underway. They took control of the crewmembers and ordered the master

Exploring the Options in International Law

There has been a lot of publicity concerning the global effects of piracy. Reports on pirate attacks are frequently plastered across the front page of the news. Quotes from the families

Typical Pirate Attack

Location: South East Asia, Indian sub continent, Africa, and Red Sea. Distance from shore varies with mother ship and can extend to over 200nm. The Sirius Star was seized Nov. 14, 2008

“Piracy: orchestrating the response”

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has begun its organized attack on piracy. It was announced back in June 2010 that the World Maritime Day theme for 2011 would be “Piracy: orchestrating the response.” On February 3, 2011 it was officially begun.

The AIS Controversy

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is an automated tracking system used on merchant vessels. It is a requirement of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the list of affected vessels can be found at the bottom of this article. The AIS displays detailed information about each individual ship and this information is broadcast about 46 miles in all directions.

The information may contain:

• Vessel Name
• Call Sign
• IMO Number
• Draft
• Cargo Type
• Dimensions
• Destination
• Estimated Time of Destination (ETD)
• Position
• Course
• Speed

The reason that there is a controversy surrounding AIS is due to the increase in pirate attacks all over the world.

Mariners vs. Pirates

The threat of piracy continues to grow, and pirates are getting bolder with each ransom paid. Although merchant ships are not allowed to carry lethal weapons, there has been a rise in non-lethal technology at their disposal. In this post you will see some of these new technologies, as well as some of the older and more lethal technologies that pirates use.

The Trouble with Transportation Security

This is a short assignment that I wrote for my Transportation Security class in 2010.

“The state of American anti-terrorism preparation is severely lacking in the maritime field. It would seem that the government and society as a whole are unprepared