WORLDWIDE PIRACY

SITUATION

The growth of piracy in the Somali Basin

since the turn of the century demonstrates
how much this problem has turned into a
global menace.

 In the past 30 years, the maritime community

witnessed more than 3,500 piratical attacks
worldwide.

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
A. Horn of Africa

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
A. Horn of Africa

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
A. Horn of Africa

At the close of
2011, a decline
in piracy
attacks
reported

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
A. Horn of Africa

Decline could be
seen as a
vindication of
the
international
naval presence
in piracy

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
A. Horn of Africa

UNSC extended range

of multinational antipiracy efforts
towards Somalias
coastal waters and
even towards parts of
its land drastically
reduced the pirates
safe haven for escape

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
A. Horn of Africa

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
A. Horn of Africa

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
B. West Africa

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
B. West Africa

A UN Office on Drugs and

Crime report said that
pirates now have taken
control over coastal areas
in Benin, the small nation
that borders Nigeria and

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
B. West Africa

Hijackings off West

Africa, pirates are
usually after the cargo
rather than ransom
money as is the case in
Indian Ocean hijackings

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
C. Southeast Asia
Pirate attacks in SEA
littoral states have
increased. Attacks in May
2011 spiked the highest with 15
incidents.

Attacks in SEA are

lower than those off
Somalia but there have
recently been a few
cases of hijacking and
ransom. As Somalia shows,
once pirates know their demands
can be made without reprisals, the
level of hijacking, kidnap and
ransom will only increase.

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
C. Southeast Asia
Piracy in the region
appears
opportunistic, often theft
from ships anchored in ports
such as Jakarta in Java and
Samarinda in Borneo.

The Straits of
Singapore and the
Strait of Malacca used
to be the most heavily
attacked area, but the
littoral countries coordinated
piracy patrols reduce attacks.

WORLDWIDE PIRACY
SITUATION
C. Southeast Asia
SEA waters
noted a sudden spur

Recently,

in pirate attacks.
The IMB called on authorities
and ships to be vigilant and
sustain its strict anti-

piracy watch.
Pirates in Aceh revealed the

emergence of new
pirate criminal
syndicates in the
region.

IMPEDIMENTS TO FIGHTING
PIRACY

IMPEDIMENTS TO FIGHTING
PIRACY
1. Political
Weak governance. The roots of piracy stem from the
political insecurity that has plagued weak countries.

Insurgency. Weak states have allowed a plethora of

syndicates and even insurgent groups to flourish.

Clan-based power groups. Piratical acts are carried

out with the implicit cooperation of local power-brokers on
land.

Flawed legitimacy. Pirates justify piratical activities,

and rationalize support for piratical activities, because of
illegal fishing and alleged toxic dumping done off-shore.

IMPEDIMENTS TO FIGHTING
PIRACY
2. Economic
No rewarding alternatives exist on land.
Piracy is not a way of life in any Somali or Indonesian
coastal village, but an income-generating industry that
evolved because of the lack or absence of economic inputs
critical to the development of said areas.

Piracy-fuelled money laundering. A key driver in

the rise of maritime piracy is the stability of business
networks overseas that finance piracy operations, manage
the cash flow in pirate-infested areas and into neighbouring
countries and other distant points.

IMPEDIMENTS TO FIGHTING
PIRACY
3. Operational
Sustainability of counter-piracy forces. The size
of pirate-infested waters presents a huge geographical
challenge to counter-piracy operations.

Flawed catch-and-release policy. Due to perceived

legal uncertainties, many countries are not eager to prosecute
pirates at their own courts.

Rules on on-board weapons of ship security

teams. The countries around the Gulf of Aden, the Indian
Ocean and the South China Sea have not standardized their
rules regarding bringing of weapons aboard merchant vessels
into ports.

PHILIPPINE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY

PHILIPPINE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
FIGHT
AGAINST
PIRACY
700,000 Filipinos
seafarers crew
merchant ships,
manning at least
20% of
international
commercial vessels
Estimated 340,00
to 380,000 Filipino
seafarers are
aboard merchant
ships that pass
through the high
risk areas of the
Gulf of Aden and
South China Sea
chokepoints

PHL - 3rd
largest
source of
seafarers

PHILIPPINE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY
Contribute
annually some
US$ 10 billion to
the countrys
economy.
769 Filipino
sailors seized by
pirates in the
Gulf of Aden and
the Indian Ocean
(2006-2011)

PHILIPPINE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY
1.
2.

3.
4.

PHL criminalizes piracy as an act of

terrorism under Human Security Act
PHL National Security Policy of 2011-2016
labeled maritime piracy as transnational
crime that requires international
cooperation
Consider a US proposal to prosecute
pirates under PHL jurisdiction
Given Manila-flagged merchant vessels the
go-ahead to deploy private security groups

PHILIPPINE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY
5.

6.

7.
8.
9.

PHL and USA forged Memo of Cooperation

on Maritime Counter-Piracy Training and
Education
PHL government made arrangements with
ships foreign principals and local
manning agencies to travel along the IRTC
Established National Coast Watch System
Sent a Liaison Navy Officer (LNO) to the
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)
Participate in the 70-nation Contact Group
on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.

CONCLUSION
It is incumbent on the Philippine government to fully cooperate with
other governments and undertake proactive and reactive measures to
minimize the exposure of Filipino seafarers to pirate attacks...
Assist in standardizing the training of crews
Continue to participate in the Contact Groups for Piracy in
pirate-infested areas
Seek ways to assist in prosecution of pirates with a nexus to
the Philippines
Ensure manning agencies are aware of Best Management
Practices
Join Combined Maritime Forces
Pressure Flag States to enforce BMP compliance

End of Presentation