Since the beginning of the 21st century, ships from 62 countries have been subject to pirate attacks. More than a hundred groups are engaged in maritime robbery. Why can't they still be defeated?
What kind of phenomenon are pirates in the 21st century? Why did the state of Somalia become the base of modern pirates? Renat Irikovich Bekkin, a senior researcher at the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a lecturer at MGIMO (U) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, tells the story. He recently returned from a scientific trip to Somalia.
- Why did pirates of the 21st century choose Somalia?
In fact, international maritime robbery today does not only occur off the coast of Somalia. Gentlemen of fortune from Southeast Asia, unlike their Somali counterparts, are distinguished by extreme cruelty. Somalis, compared to the pirates “working” in the Strait of Malacca, are harmless sheep, noble knights. And in Indonesian territorial waters, professional gangs engage in piracy. Separatist partisans, as well as sailors and fishermen who have lost their jobs, do not disdain piracy. Pirates are actively involved in smuggling activities.
But there are many poor countries in the world. In the same Africa. Why did piracy become widespread in Somalia? After all, since the beginning of the year, more than 30 sea vessels have been captured by Somali pirates. Are there any historical reasons for the spread of piracy in Somalia?
We can talk more about geographical than historical prerequisites. Ships traveling from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and back, through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait, cannot pass the Gulf of Aden and are a tasty morsel for lanky, dark-skinned gentlemen from Somalia. The route from Europe to South and East Asia and Australia runs through the Gulf of Aden. The aforementioned Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia, one of the busiest sea routes, opens up no less opportunities for pirates. And the numerous islands scattered in the inland seas of Indonesia are a paradise for pirate bases. And in Africa, Somalia is far from the only place where pirates operate. Among the places of their greatest activity, I would highlight the coast of Nigeria and the south of the continent.
- What makes people become pirates? Who is he, a typical Somali pirate?
Whatever we may say about the romance of pirates, poverty is at the heart of piracy. Let's not forget that most of the once united state of Somalia is under the control of the leaders of various clans and tribes.
UN employees complain: they send a cargo of humanitarian aid to Somalia, but before it reaches its destination, it is intercepted by representatives of other clans that were left deprived of food distribution.
Most Somali pirates are young people who cannot find good jobs. For them, piracy is shrouded in an aura of romance. The opportunity to get involved in an interesting adventure and earn huge money at the same time, comparable to the pre-crisis Christmas bonuses of top managers on Wall Street, pushes young people into the ranks of gentlemen of fortune. According to my information, among the pirates there are no people from Somaliland, a de facto independent state in the north of the Somali Peninsula. Somaliland has lived in peace and relative prosperity compared to other parts of the once unified state of Somalia since 1991, and therefore the pirate profession is not very popular here. Most of the pirates come from the Majertan and Hawiye clans, from Puntland, a buffer quasi-state in the northeast of the Somali Peninsula.
Somali pirates try not to shed the blood of captured crews and treat them humanely. And this despite the fact that the low level of medical care has taught people to be calm about the prospect of their own premature death or the death of loved ones. By the way, as one of the justifications for piracy, the Somalis cite the following argument: foreign ships use the territorial waters of Somalia free of charge, and the people do not receive anything from this. As for the ship "Faina", according to information leaked to the media, it was transporting weapons intended for rebels in South Sudan, that is, it grossly violated international law. If this information is confirmed, then we can say that some criminals captured others.
- What about the Caribbean Sea, which is familiar to Hollywood fans?
The Caribbean Sea, as well as the entire American continent, according to the well-known Monroe Doctrine, is a zone of strategic interests of the United States. Therefore, the large-scale pirate industry in this area does not have a chance to exist. Although some pirate attacks also take place off the coast of South America.
The picture of the capture of the ship "Faina" amazes the modern TV viewer. Somali pirates on boats and fragile boats board a huge ship, the side of which is 6-8 meters larger than the entire flotilla of gentlemen of fortune. “Faina” could have accelerated, and the pirates would not have had a single chance to stop her, why didn’t this happen? What latest pirate technologies do the filibusters from Somalia have?
When I traveled around Somalia, I met people who could very well be pirates. In ordinary life, they can be peaceful citizens, have a peaceful profession, and in their free time engage in piracy. Somalis are an amazing people, I have never met such positive-minded people. The man has nothing but a ramshackle house made of wicker twigs and a dollar a day for food, but he beams with a smile. Skeptics say that the reason for this is khat, a narcotic herb that Somalis chew everywhere. Chew this khat and your soul will feel cheerful and carefree. But seriously, pirates are certainly given confidence by the fact that the crews of the ships they capture, as a rule, do not offer them any resistance. Because sea robbers act with lightning speed. They unexpectedly attack the ship and actively fire at it with grenade launchers and machine guns. But even in those cases when it is possible to neutralize the pirates, they are soon released. (Many experts believe that representatives of local authorities and the police cover up for pirates, because they share their loot with them. - Ed.)
There is a special attitude towards Russians in Somalia. In the 70-80s. in Somalia they built a local model of socialism, and good relations were built between our countries. Especially before the Somali-Ethiopian war of 1977, where the Soviet Union had to take the side of Ethiopia. Many Somalis studied in the USSR. I met them during my trip to Somalia. This, without any exaggeration, is a white bone, a layer of the most educated people in the country.
In July of this year, the UN adopted a document allowing the navy of a third country to enter the territorial waters of Somalia and suppress the activities of pirates. Is there now a force capable of bringing order to Somalia and putting an end to piracy?
As recent events have shown, the Somali Sharia Courts Union has proven its ability to restore order and curb crime. But as soon as they managed to strengthen themselves and begin to unify southern Somalia, the United States intervened in the situation and, through the hands of Ethiopia, prevented the unification process in the country. The US interest is to prevent the creation of a unified and strong Islamic state in Somalia. Ethiopia is also not interested in reviving Somali statehood. After the death of more than 130 UN peacekeepers and the loss of about $3 billion in 1993 during Operation Restore Hope, the world community has no desire to get involved in squabbles between clans.
On October 1, the ambassador of the virtually non-existent state of Somalia announced that the Somali government would soon recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia. How do you assess this step?
From a tactical point of view, perhaps this is a good move, but from a strategic point of view, it is utter stupidity. The motives of the Somali leadership are clear. It is making this gesture of goodwill in the hope of receiving support from Moscow. If Somalia recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia, then the United States will have no reason not to recognize Somaliland, where the Americans have certain interests. And then it will be possible to put a big fat cross on the unity of Somalia.
* At the time of signing the issue, we did not have new information about the fate of the Faina and the crew.
Pirate hijackings in the 21st century
According to the International Center for Combating Piracy, since the beginning of the 21st century, ships from 62 countries* have been attacked in the coastal seas of 56 countries. More than a hundred groups are engaged in maritime robbery.According to the classification of the International Maritime Organization, modern pirate groups are divided into three types:
1. Small groups (up to 5 people), armed with knives and pistols. They attack ships in a harbor or on the high seas, using the element of surprise. They rob the ship's cash register and passengers, and offload some of the cargo onto their boats. The total number is from 8-10 thousand people around the world.
2. Gangs (up to 30 people), armed with heavy machine guns, machine guns and grenade launchers, often kill the crew of a captured ship and take the ship and cargo. The total number is about 300 thousand people around the world.
3. International organized groups seize ships with particularly valuable cargo (today it is oil and petroleum products). They have modern satellite navigation and communications, an intelligence network, and cover in government agencies. Most often, tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships are robbed. Sometimes private yachts are attacked. In 2001, a scandal occurred - pirates in the Amazon killed America's Cup winner, yachtsman Peter Blake. Experts believe that pirate syndicates have used stolen ships to create a shipping network with a turnover of about $5 billion a year.
The geography of the activities of pirates of the 21st century is the coastal waters of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Main attack areas:
1. Southeast Asia and the South China Sea (Strait of Malacca, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand).
2. West Africa (Nigeria, Senegal, Angola, Ghana), Indian Ocean, East Africa (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Somalia, Tanzania).
3. South America and the Caribbean (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Guyana).
The most “popular” place for attacks is the coastal waters of Indonesia.
The annual damage from piracy around the world is $40 billion.
Based on the annual reports of the International Maritime Bureau:
In 2000, there were 469 pirate attacks on ships worldwide
in 2001 - 344
in 2002 - 370
in 2003 - 344
in 2004 - 329
in 2005 - 276
in 2006 - 239
in 2007 - 263
Statistics on Russian ships are distorted, since 60% of ships sail under the flags of other countries of the world, that is, they are simply rented out together with a Russian crew.
* This figure is not final, as many shipowners are afraid to report pirate attacks to the police, fearing retaliation from criminals, corrupt officials and police in coastal countries.
Latest tragedies at sea
The cargo ship "Captain Uskov" under the flag of Cambodia left the Russian port of Nakhodka for Hong Kong on January 15, 2008, but did not arrive at the destination port. The ship's crew consisted of 17 Russians, including 22-year-old barmaid Ekaterina Zakharova, who was on her first voyage. There were 4.5 thousand tons of metal on board the ship. The International Center for Combating Piracy joined the search for the ship and crew, which distributed information with its description throughout the world. Even if the ship has been repainted, its name and flag changed, it can be recognized by its individual characteristics. Hopes for success are low.On February 1, 2008, off the coast of Somalia, pirates captured the icebreaking tugboat Switzer Korsakov, which was sailing from St. Petersburg to Sakhalin under the flag of the state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The team consists of one Englishman, one Irishman, and four Russian citizens. The kidnappers received a ransom of 700 thousand dollars for the ship and crew. It was paid by the Switzer Weissmuller company, which owns the tug. Negotiations with pirates were conducted from February 1 to March 18, 2008.
How to fight
On November 16, 1994, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was adopted, according to which all states must cooperate to the fullest extent possible in the suppression of piracy on the high seas or any other place beyond the jurisdiction of any country.In 1991, the International Chamber of Commerce established an Anti-Piracy Center in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
In California (USA) there is a training center for training specialists in the fight against sea robbers. He trains anti-piracy units for the navies of Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.
The Maritime Doctrine of the Russian Federation, approved by President Putin on July 21, 2001, notes: “Intensifying cooperation with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region to ensure maritime safety and combat piracy” is one of the areas of state activity.
At a plenary meeting of the State Duma on October 1, 2008, the chamber approved a protocol instruction to the Security Committee to request information from the relevant ministries and departments “on measures taken to solve the problem of international piracy, ensuring the security of international trade routes, including jointly with other members of the international community.” .
On September 23, 2008, Russia sent the destroyer Neustrashimy from the Baltic Sea to the coastal waters of Somalia. The Statement of the Russian Navy Command states that this was done “in response to the increasing incidence of piracy in the region, the victims of which are also Russian citizens.” Neustrashimy is not yet taking active steps, as negotiations are ongoing with pirates.
There were victories...
In 2005, the cruise ship Seaborne Spirit was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia. They appeared unexpectedly on speedboats, armed with machine guns and grenade launchers, and fired at the ship.The witty captain used an unconventional means of fighting - an acoustic cannon. She stunned the pirates. The ship managed to move to a safe distance.
In May 2006, a real naval battle took place off the coast of Somalia: pirates opened fire on US Navy warships. The guided-missile cruiser Cape St. George and the guided-missile destroyer Gonzales responded with salvos of missile launchers. As a result of the special operation, 12 pirates were detained, including 5 wounded. The impudence of the filibusters who entered into battle with modern warships is amazing.
Maritime piracy— robbery at sea, the seizure of merchant ships for the purpose of obtaining ransom or selling the captured cargo. In the mass consciousness it is associated more with the events of the Middle Ages, but in reality this problem is extremely relevant today. The actions of Somali pirates are now best known, but in fact this is far from the only area of their active operations...
Maritime piracy has been known since antiquity (the most famous in this regard are the Phoenician pirates, who at the same time made many geographical discoveries). Piracy was extremely developed in the Middle Ages and in modern times, and it covered many regions of the world. In addition to piracy itself, which was considered direct banditry, there was such a thing as privateering - also piracy, but with the presence of an official patent from the government of a country.
For example, privateers with a British patent robbed French and Spanish ships and vice versa. Chinese pirates were very active in East Asia. During the two world wars, actions similar to privateering were carried out by German raiders (auxiliary cruisers).
Currently, the main areas of activity for sea pirates are the Gulf of Guinea and Aden, the Strait of Malacca, and the South China Sea. Their actions are facilitated by political instability in countries adjacent to the coast of these water areas, the presence of numerous convenient shelters on the shore, and intensive shipping in these areas. The significant income pirates receive from ransoms for ships, their crews and cargo allows them to purchase high-speed boats and boats, weapons, and communications equipment, which makes their actions even more effective.
The world's navies are not equipped to combat maritime piracy, since pirate boats are very numerous, fast and extremely small targets. Warships are not equipped to deal with such targets. In addition, the fight against maritime piracy is extremely difficult for legal reasons.
Firstly, it is unclear whose jurisdiction is over pirates captured in international waters. If medieval pirates who did not have a charter of marque were hanged on yards, then modern pirates, especially if they managed to throw their weapons overboard, are either simply released or handed over to the authorities of their country, where they, as a rule, immediately find themselves free (the most striking example - Somalia).
Secondly, the jurisdiction of ships captured by pirates is often unclear. Modern merchant shipping is internationalized like, apparently, no other sector of the world economy. Vessels, as a rule, sail under flags of convenience (Panama, Liberia, Mongolia, Cambodia, etc.), and their crews almost always consist of representatives of several countries. As a result, it is often unclear who exactly should protect each particular vessel.
The country to which the ship formally belongs, in reality has nothing to do with it, and, moreover, does not have the forces and means to free the ships. Therefore, the seizure of a ship by pirates becomes, as a rule, a problem only and exclusively for the shipowner company, which often has neither the means nor the desire to save the ship and sailors (and the sailors, as already mentioned, may have no relation to the country whose flag flutters over the ship, nor to the country where the shipowner company is “registered”). Paying a ransom is very often the only possible option.
As a result, although, for example, in the western part of the Indian Ocean today, in order to combat maritime piracy, there are a NATO naval unit, a squadron of the European Union (separate from NATO), an operational unit of the US Navy (also separate from NATO), warships of Russia, Japan, China , India, South Korea, Iran, the number of ships captured by pirates and the amount of ransoms for them continue to grow.
Some facts about modern piracy:
The amount of ransoms received by Somali pirates near the Horn of Africa in 2005-2012 is estimated at $339-413 million. The average sum is $2.7 million.
Ordinary pirates receive $30-75 thousand for a successful operation, with the first person to climb aboard a captured ship, as well as those who come with their own weapons or ladder, receiving a bonus of $10 thousand.
Khat, which is chewed incessantly, including in Somalia, is often supplied to pirates on credit. Its quantity is strictly taken into account, and after the operation the pirate receives his share of the profit minus the cost of khat, which is three times higher at sea than on the mainland.
The pirate's salary is also deducted for food plus fines: for example, for cruelty towards the ship's crew, you can lose $5 thousand - the pirate code, just like in the good old days. As a result, those who are especially unrestrained sometimes do not earn anything from the raid or end up in debt.
Part of the loot goes to cooks, middlemen, lucky owners of currency detectors (to check the authenticity of banknotes) and lawyers (who are in constant high demand) for their services. They also pay local law enforcement officers and terrorists (Al-Shabaab, for example, takes 20% from pirates as a “development tax”) so that they are not touched.
Former pirates are settling down on land as best they can. They often make a living by providing services for real and potential victims of their recent colleagues - they become “consultants” or negotiators.
Funding pirate expeditions is not as expensive as one might think. A standard outing can cost only a few hundred dollars, so participants can easily chip in for the venture on their own. Large trips on several vessels cost up to $30 thousand and require professional financing. The financiers are then military or civilian, khat traders, fishermen and former pirates. For their services they demand from 30% to 75% of the ransom.
The average transaction involves 3-5 investors. Since decent Somalis keep money away from their homeland, they have to invent laundering schemes to return funds to Somalia.
The country's financial sector is doing surprisingly well and growing faster than government institutions. In particular, an Internet payment system is being developed, including in very troubled parts of the state.
Revenues from piracy activities flow out of Somalia mainly through the Republic of Djibouti, Kenya and the UAE.
A third of financiers from piracy spend their money on forming a kind of “people's militia” and their own political influence. Many people invest in the khat trade - this is a large and, moreover, legal business.
Maritime Piracy Map
Cape Verde.
These islands are located near the African continent, and many residents of this continent strive to get to them in search of better jobs. Therefore, attempts to seize private yachts are not uncommon in that area. But it’s better not to land on the islands themselves, drug smuggling flourishes there, and according to the sailors who visited there, they have never seen so many drug addicts anywhere. You can be attacked at any time, but thefts are quite common there. There are frequent cases of attacks by criminals on yachts laid up near the shore.
Brazil.
In Brazil, spontaneous attacks on ships by organized gangs periodically occur. This country, along with Somalia, are the only countries in the world where pirates are not afraid to attack not only small yachts, but also merchant ships. Recently, bandits attacked the yacht “Seamaster” of the Englishman Peter Blake, not afraid of either the size of the vessel (36 m) or the 10 well-trained crew members.
A little earlier, two more yachts were attacked, both large, one German, the other a luxurious French yacht “Jongert”. And despite the crew’s attempts to resist, all three were completely looted. Brazil's coastline stretches for hundreds of kilometers, and is replete with small bays and river mouths where bandits can quickly escape after an attack. The most dangerous are considered to be the mouth of the Amazon and the areas of Santos and Forteleza, where modern piracy especially flourishing.
Venezuela
In the memory of many sailors, the territorial waters of this country left dark memories. Until recently, pirate attacks occurred very often, especially in the eastern region. Although, mostly, piracy there is carried out by poor fishermen, forced to do it due to lack of livelihood.
Also, the blatant case of an attempt to seize a German yacht by members of the Venezuelan coast guard became known to the world community! Although the government of the country categorically denies this fact, declaring that it was just a showdown between local drug dealers, well, yes, we readily believe. The areas around the islands of Puerto La Cruz and Margarita are especially dangerous. You also need to be especially careful near the peninsula of Paria and Araya, near the mouth of the Amacuro and Pedernales rivers.
Trinidad
Until recently, these places were considered safe for swimming, but everything changed for the worse last year. Especially in the Chaguaramas region, cases of attempts to seize ships by bandits on boats with outboard motors have become more frequent. You should not go ashore, there is every chance of being robbed or even killed.
Colombia
Here, cases of piracy are quite rare, despite the poor image of the country itself. The last serious incident of maritime attack occurred on September 29, 2002, when three American yachts were attacked in the area of Puerto Hermosa, 50 km northeast of the border with Venezuela. And the governments of these countries are pointing fingers at each other, claiming that it is from the territories of their neighbors that the raiders are carrying out their raids on ships.
The most dangerous area where you can be attacked by corsairs is the southern part of the Golfo de Uraba, where drugs are smuggled by boat.
Nicaragua and Honduras
Both of these countries were hit hard by Hurricane Mitch and the earthquake. Due to political instability, banditry and violence are rampant in these countries. In addition, the governments of these states are constantly arguing about the borders of their countries. There are very few police and military personnel on the coasts, so there are frequent cases of attacks on tourists, both on the shore and at sea. Modern piracy, is not uncommon here.
Somalia
This country has become famous throughout the world thanks to constant attacks by pirates. There has been a civil war in Somalia for many years, lawlessness and anarchy reign in this state. Somali pirates are famous for their brutality, they are well armed and organized. Each gang is subordinate to the leader of the clan, and the entire coast of Somalia is divided among the raiders, and each area has its own gang of robbers.
They travel on small vessels, numbering 5-8 people, and go far into the sea in search of commercial vessels. Ships located in the Gulf of Aden are not recommended to approach the coastline closer than 100 nautical miles. And despite the constant patrolling of American, French, and German warships in these waters, the situation is not getting any better. Undoubtedly, Somalia is the main patrimony in the world of sea robbers.
Piracy is not uncommon in the modern world. The damage from their activities around the world reaches $40 billion a year. Modern corsairs attack merchant ships, private yachts, and fishing boats. The real “jackpot” for them is to take possession of an oil tanker or cruise ship.
Geography of pirates of the 21st century
Given the popularity of Somali pirates today, it is not difficult to name the most popular attack area. These are the coastal waters of West and East Africa. There are no historical prerequisites for the emergence of piracy. The reasons for the spread of sea robbers are geographical and economic. It's all about the Gulf of Aden, located near Yemen and Somalia. This is the main sea route for transporting goods between Europe and Africa. Naturally, pirates know about this and are not averse to making money in these waters.
As for the western coast of this continent, it is dominated by Nigerian pirates who trade near the Gulf of Guinea. Why do so many people in Africa engage in piracy? The answer is obvious: poverty and inability to find work.
The waters of Southeast Asia and the South China Sea are considered dangerous due to piracy. Especially the Strait of Malacca, which connects the waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Unlike their “colleagues” from Somalia, the local pirates are particularly cruel. About a hundred armed gangs carry out sea raids and robberies in the Strait of Malacca. All of them have excellent and fast ships, as well as high-quality navigation equipment. Capturing large cargo ships is almost commonplace for pirates in these places.
In the waters of Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua), cases of piracy are also regularly recorded. The coastline occupies hundreds of kilometers, on which there are many bays and river mouths, where bandits can easily hide and plan their next capture of a ship.
Source: get.whotrades.com
Being a sailor is a dangerous profession
Modern sailors constantly expose themselves to danger. Largely due to being captured by pirates and suffering during their attack on the ship. An encounter with sea robbers may well result in death or injury. For such a risk, seafarers are entitled to an additional payment. If the course lies through potentially dangerous waters, where active pirate activity has been observed, then the pay for the ship’s crew increases.
Most European countries still adhere to the agreement concluded in Singapore in 2008. According to it, the bonus for sailors for passing through pirate-dangerous areas is 100% of the monthly salary. In Russia, not all organizations are ready for such expenses. Most often, the amount of payments for the risk of encountering pirates is determined by an agreement between shipping companies and workers' unions.
Russian sailors who are part of the crew of foreign ships or ships operating under a “flag of convenience” have the right to count on a double increase in salary.
How can you protect yourself from pirates?
Securing a ship from attacks by sea robbers is quite difficult. Not every crew and captain can predict the actions of pirates. Here's the thing: “Pirates are unpredictable. Along the way, they are engaged in smuggling and selling drugs, which they also use themselves. Being in a state of drug intoxication, they do not feel pain and are ready for crazy and desperate actions. For example, after the battle one of the pirates was seriously wounded. The bullet grazed the neck and front of the face, exposing teeth and cheekbones. Blood flowed like a fountain. However, he acted as if absolutely nothing had happened. I walked around and tried to scratch my teeth.”, says Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Yezhov, commander of the Marine Corps group of the Pacific Fleet. Modern gentlemen of fortune act quickly, attack the ship unexpectedly, fire at it from machine guns or grenade launchers. Their goal is to scare the captain, force him to slow down or stop. Therefore, when meeting with pirates, it is necessary to give maximum speed and maneuver in order to prevent the boats from coming close to the side.
Barbed wire installed around the perimeter of the vessel helps a lot. It is supplied with high voltage, which prevents sea bandits from climbing onto the deck during boarding. Recently, many ship owners have turned to the services of security companies, whose employees will accompany the ship all the way and use weapons to protect it.
According to the International Maritime Organization, modern piracy is divided into three types:
First view- this is when armed gangs of pirates attack ships with knives and pistols on the high seas or in a harbor, using the factor of surprise. The attack lasts approximately 30-60 minutes. The prey of sea bandits is the cash of the crew and passengers of the ship, as well as part of the cargo, if it is of interest to them. As a rule, they do not attempt to seize the ship itself, but limit themselves only to the ship’s cash register and part of the cargo, which they reload onto their boats and boats.
For the second type characterized by a brutal attack by well-organized and armed local gangs, usually accompanied by murders, often the extermination of the entire crew of the ship, and the seizure of cargo. These are gangs armed with heavy machine guns, machine guns and grenade launchers, which often exterminate the entire crew and seize the ship and cargo.
Third type– well-coordinated actions of international organized gangs to seize ships with especially valuable cargo. In this case, the ship's crew is destroyed or disembarked, and the cargo is reloaded onto a pirate ship. The captured ship is then usually sold using forged papers or used for one's own purposes. These are international organized groups that seize ships with particularly valuable cargo. They use modern satellite navigation and communications, have an agent network, and extensive connections in various echelons of power.
According to their methods of action, pirates are divided into two types - “Indonesian” and “Somali”. The first type, widespread primarily in the waters of Southeast Asia, involves hunting for valuable cargo. People in this case are an annoying nuisance and are often destroyed. The second type of attack, practiced, as the name suggests, mainly in African waters, involves taking hostages for ransom.
Characteristics of current pirates
1. Robin Hood complex
Many Somali pirates consider themselves good people. And at some point they were good. After the fall of the Somali government in 1991, neighboring countries began illegal fishing in Somalia's territorial waters. The first pirates were simply angry fishermen who seized foreign ships and demanded "tolls." But as illegal fishing continued, the first pirates banded together and declared themselves the "Coast Guard." They claimed that they would care about the territorial integrity of Somalia until the country had a government.
However, they were not alone. Other pirates made their debut by plundering UN ships delivering food to Somali refugee camps. They argued that if they did not take the food, the warlords would seize it. Their statements made sense. Warlords captured much of the humanitarian aid flowing into Somalia in the 1990s.
But over the years, piracy has become a business worth millions of dollars. Today, pirates do not hide their motives and directly say that they are only interested in money.
2. Nobody earns as much as pirates
By some estimates, pirates earned $150 million in 2008, making piracy the largest industry in Somalia. Essentially, successful pirates are now the most eligible bachelors. While small-time gangsters earn five figures, the leaders earn $2 million a year, and this in a country where you can dine for less than $1. Now many pirates are heading to new pastures, and with them real money is leaving Somalia. They are buying property on the coast of Kenya, where new villas are springing up like mushrooms. If a villa is sold for several million dollars, the pirates have no problem throwing in half a million so that the Kenyans don’t ask unnecessary questions.
3. It's easy to be a pirate!
Almost anyone can engage in piracy. All you need is a pistol, an aluminum ladder (to climb onto ships) and a motor boat. The main thing is that there is no need to fear that they will return fire from the selected object. Under international agreements, civilian ships are prohibited from carrying weapons, as governments do not want armed ships moving from port to port. The best defense against pirates is speed, but since civilian ships are not designed to move quickly, it is not difficult for pirates to catch up with them. The most technologically advanced robbers have machine guns and GPS, but many pirates are almost indistinguishable from fishermen. Having captured a ship, they either rob it or demand a ransom for goods and crew. The ransom for a merchant ship's cargo averages about $1 million.
5. Pirates rarely kill people, and this is why they are dangerous
It's hard to tell the pirates from the fishermen until they board the ship and pull out their guns. Therefore, the deterrent role of warships is reduced to floating nearby to intimidate. Once pirates hijack a ship, the military rarely attempts to recapture it, as doing so may result in harm to hostages. Despite all the aggressiveness of pirates in 2008, the number of people killed was small. The captain of one ship, taken hostage, died of natural causes. Several people died in shootouts trying to free the hostages. Pirates prefer their hostages to be healthy. For each of them you can get thousands of dollars in ransom. In addition, due to the pirates' reputation for not harming hostages, governments are reluctant to retaliate, as shipowners are demanding.
The word pirate comes from the Latin pirata, which means to test, try. Therefore, a pirate is a bandit trying his luck at sea, ready to rob anyone, anywhere. Moreover, contrary to the persistent stereotype, pirates robbed not only at sea, but also on land, embarking on risky land expeditions in search of rich booty for many weeks.
The corsair, unlike the pirate, was not an “outlaw.” Using a patent received from their government as a safe conduct, the corsairs had the opportunity to attack the enemy both on land and at sea, without fear, if caught, of being hanged like pirates. This legal aspect is the only thing that distinguishes corsairs from pirates. Otherwise, there is no difference - the goals, and the ways to achieve these goals, were not much different.
Black eye patch - life hack from corsairs
There is an opinion that pirates wore an eye patch only to hide their injury - a missing eye. Of course, losing an eye in a fight with a dangerous opponent is a noble and a little romantic thing, but the opinion about the purpose of the black bandage is wrong, as are the statements that the Earth is flat.
In fact, pirates wore a black patch over one eye purely for practical reasons. And here’s the truth: when boarding a ship, the corsairs fought and searched for prey simultaneously both on the upper deck and on the lower one.
It is well known that the human eye gets used to darkness within a few minutes, so a pirate, descending to the lower deck, where it is dark, became a vulnerable target. But if a few minutes before the battle one eye is bandaged, then, by lowering into the hold and quickly moving the bandage from one eye to the other, the pirate could just as quickly fight and look for jewelry.
Skull and crossbones on a pirate flag - Hollywood cliche
When pirates appear in a movie, their ship will definitely display a black flag with a white skull and crossbones. This became a kind of calling card of the corsairs.
But historical fact says that the skull flag was developed when the pirates were in a good mood and did not intend to attack anyone. But it was worth panicking if a red flag fluttered on a pirate ship; it heralded the beginning of the battle.
But let's return to the skull and bones. In fact, the pirates were quite original and creative individuals, so each ship had a flag of its own production, sewn according to the sketches of the captain or the entire crew.
Recruited sailors became pirates
Many men became sea robbers because they liked to rob and commit outrages, it's true. But most of the pirates of that time were recruited sailors who were angry with everyone and everything.
The Middle Ages were a time when the rights of ordinary people were trampled on much more than in our days. Let's take the British Empire as an example. Inveterate thugs, commissioned by the government, used threats and torture to recruit into the Royal Navy those who did not want to become sailors voluntarily (and those who could not buy their way out of such a fate).
There was no sign of romance in the life of a recruited sailor: the guys were often beaten, poorly fed and rarely paid. When a ship stopped at a port, the sailors were shackled like slaves to prevent them from escaping.
Due to inhumane treatment, approximately 75% of people in forced service died within two years.
So, when pirates captured a ship and invited the sailors to go over to the Dark Side of the Force, many, embittered, agreed, starting to rob the ships of the British Empire, which treated them so badly.
Pirates' treasures existed
Novels about pirates claim that almost every second corsair buried the goods he looted, drew a treasure map, and then, instead of drinking away his wealth, looked at that very map, proud of his efficiency and ingenuity.
But the truth looks different. Yes, pirates buried treasure, but history can only document three such cases:
In 1573, Francis Drake robbed a Spanish caravan, but there was so much loot that the robber could not take it all at once. Having buried part of the loot near the road, Drake planned to return for it later, but in a hurry the treasure was poorly hidden and it was dug up by the Spaniards.
The Spanish Inquisition was able to make even the most secretive and reserved person talk. So the famous pirate Roque Brasiliano, under torture of the “holy” Inquisition, admitted that he buried more than 8,000 pesos near Cuba.
In 1699, Captain William Kidd buried his treasure somewhere off Long Island, but it was found by authorities and used as evidence against Kidd at his trial.
Gold is not the main thing for a pirate
Pirates loved gold very much, but did not put it at the forefront. After all, left in the middle of the ocean without food and medicine, without tools and materials to repair the ship, the entire crew faced certain death. Or an outbreak of cannibalism.
Be that as it may, the truth is that gold was not the main goal of the bandit raids, it was more of a nice bonus. Corsairs were searched throughout the country; they could not go ashore and calmly go to a local shop or market.
So, during raids or sea battles, pirates cleaned out the captured ship, taking everything that could be useful in the future.
