Many shipping companies are abandoning the shorter sea route through the Suez Canal in favour of the safer, longer and rougher  sea- route around the Cape of  Good Hope. This will not only add 12 extra days to the typical voyage, it will increase the freight rates by 25 – 30%. Add to this, the steep increase in insurance for shipping firms.

In the biggest ship hijacking in history, of $100 million worth of crude oil, the hijackers have warned against being offered fake money for any ransom payment. It is still unconfirmed they have demanded $25 million, after having seized the  Sirius Star, a 318,000 tonne crude Saudi oil tanker, one of the largest oil tankers in the world, off the coast of Kenya, on November 18th. The fate of the 25 crew is still unclear. The hijack took place in spite of the fact there were was a NATO warship in the area, protecting commercial shipping.

“The Sirius Star is said to be anchored about 17 miles east of the port of Haradheere, 10 miles out to sea, with 30 Somali pirates on board,” said Ahmed, an associate of the pirates. Three more ships have been hijacked since the Sirius Star was taken.

In 2006 there were 31 attacks on shipping, 60 in 2007, with 20 crew members killed and over 150 injured. There have been 199 recorded attacks in 2008 to September, earning the sea pirates millions of dollars in ransoms. At least 12 of the 2008 ships and more than 200 hostages,  are still under the control of the pirates. Previously the South China Sea and the Malacca Strait between Indonesia and Malaysia had been considered the most dangerous waters. However, recent figures confirm the greatest increase in incidents have occurred off the coast of Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden.

The international community believes there can be no end to piracy, in spite of increased sea patrols,  until there is peace among the feuding politicians, with their own militia, in Somalia. Yet Somali security forces threaten to attack and release a Yemeni cargo ship, if the pirates won’t release it without the $2 million ransom being paid. Minister of the semi-autonomous northern Puntland region said, “We have friendly relations with the Yemeni people.” In mid-October the Puntland forces raided and retrieved a Panama flagged ship, the Wail, arresting 10 pirates during a gun battle.

It is a tragedy that the Somali pirates cannot find more rewarding Blue Moon Opportunities, instead of resorting to gangland style piracy on the high seas. It is also an amazing fact that the nations of the world are unable to stop a tiny band of 350 terrorists with their 100 small boats.

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