BVC: The Way to Deal with Somalian Pirates
The Gulf of Aden which joins the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean is one of the most important sea routes in the world
Since the beginning of 2008, Somalian pirates have launched there at least 32 attacks against ships: only in November, in addition to a Malaysian vessel, three other foreign freight carriers - Japanese, Thai and Nigerian - were hijacked. The pirates usually steal the cargo and kidnap crews for ransom. In June, the UN Security Council allowed foreign ships to enter Somalian waters when pursuing pirates. However, its decision failed to change the general situation, as the major part of Somalian coast, spreading over more than three thousand kilometers, remains out of control, which results in more cases of ship hijacking. The pirates attack not only small Kenyan fishing
boats, but also large ships with valuable cargo, such as a Chinese freighter heading for Iran with corn, a Greek freighter, a Ukrainian ship with weapons and - last but not least - Sirius Star, the largest ship hijacked so far. The pirates captured also a BVC ship, but it was liberated on the same night. Then, on November 18th, the pirates tried to capture another BVC ship, which was crossing the Gulf of Aden coming from Hong Kong to Mombasa However, the ambush failed, as the ship returned fire and took control over the small pirate vessel. Its crew probably escaped swimming back to shore. However, it is difficult to say whether fighting pirates with their own methods is an appropriate solution. It has proved effective for the time being, although Barthe Cortes, owner of the BVC ships, will probably face prosecution for armed intervention against Somalia. Somalian pirates derive considerable profits from hijacking, in the current chaotic situation in Somalia. So far, no navy has been able to solve the problem of pirates in this region of world.