by Mike Hall, Apr 19, 2011
High seas piracy, especially in the Arabian Gulf and most of the Indian Ocean, “is becoming more savage and widespread,” says Seafarers (SIU) Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel.
A coalition of international maritime groups has now launched “Save Our Seafarers” (SOS), a new anti-piracy campaign to push governments to do more to protect sailors and ship and prevent pirates from “hijacking the world’s economy.” (Click here to visit the SOS channel on YouTube.)
As Heindel says, “the world has lost control of piracy.”
All the Arabian Gulf and most of the Indian Ocean are now effectively lawless. Yet there is a way that control can be regained: by actively going after pirates, stopping them and prosecuting them. Not this ludicrous situation of taking away their guns and setting them free to strike again.
Even when the mostly Somali pirates—who are currently holding about 800 international seafarers hostage—are captured, 80 percent are released to attack again, according to the SOS campaign.
