Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.
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vessel and then board, or wait until the vessel is undermanned and vulnerable. Frequently, attacks take place when a vessel is either at anchor or involved in a ship-to-ship transfer. These groups of pirates are usually well funded by their activities or from additional ties to criminal organiza- tions. Although many of these hijack- ings have resulted in large ransom demands, major shipping companies have responded by adding protec- tive measures to their vessels, such as employing onboard armed security teams, vessel citadels, various water- deployed propeller-entanglement devices, barbed wire on the deck, and vessel escorts. Defi ning Piracy and Maritime Crime Maritime piracy, defi ned by Article 101 of the 1982 United Nations Conven- tion on the Law of the Sea and adopted by the International Maritime Orga- nization is described as any of the following acts: "Any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed: (i) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft; (ii) against a ship, aircraft, persons or property in a place outside the juris- diction of any State;" 3LUDWHV DUH À QGLQJ PRUH FKDOOHQJLQJ circumstances, due to the hardening of their targets, and are now report- edly taking more risks like attacking LQ URXJK VHDV DQG GLIÀ FXOW FRQGLWLRQV As a result, pirates have shifted their attack methods from their historical PHWKRG RI ERDUGLQJ DQG WKUHDWHQLQJ WR À ULQJ XSRQ the vessel to determine if there is a security team aboard. Although commercial shipping vessels are not the lone targets, (there have been instances of attacks on cruise ships, private yachts, and sailing vessels) attacks on commercial vessels are predomi- nant. Analysis of Reported Maritime Crime Reported incidents in East and West Africa are nor- mally associated with maritime piracy due to the location, but it can also be associated with maritime crime. Reports from the Gulf of Guinea indicate that cargo vessels are a favorite target for criminal attacks—these attacks have a higher rate of violence than others in the region. The waters near Togo and the Congo are particularly known for criminal attacks, but the tactics and targets are similar to the rest of the region. Targets are predominately chemi- cal tankers with the aim of hijacking the vessel for ransom. Reportedly, multiple skiffs carrying groups of 20 or more attackers are common. Southeast Asia is also known for multiple areas of concern. The Straits of Malacca, residing between Indonesia and Malaysia, has historically been consid- www.uscg.mil/proceedings "Any act of voluntary participation in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft;" "Any act inciting or of intentionally facilitating an act described in sub- paragraph (a) or (b)." www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/closindx.htm ered one of the most hazardous areas for maritime criminal attacks. Therefore, protective measures have been improved and local law enforcement and mili- tary have also increased their guard. Vessels in the waters near Singapore and Bangla- desh are also reporting maritime criminal events. Although vessel targets are similar to those in Afri- can waters, the attackers are not as advanced. Their groups are smaller, they rarely employ multiple ves- sels during attacks, and the attacks usually result in robbery rather than hijackings. Attacks are largely focused on targets docked in port or in berthing. In this region, vessel protective measures and an alert FUHZ VLJQLÀ FDQWO\ OHVVHQ RU GHWHU DWWDFNV Incidents near South and Central America, particu- larly in areas of the Caribbean, most often meet the GHÀ QLWLRQ RI PDULWLPH FULPH DOWKRXJK WKH DUHD LV KLV torically known for harvesting pirates. The popular targets in this region are often yachts, sailing vessels, and commercial vessels. The attack methods are often crude, and rarely employ more than a few criminals armed with small arms and machetes. Criminal attacks can be deadly, despite the attackers lack in funding and advanced methods. Violent beatings are Spring 2012 Proceedings 33