Context: Recent years have witnessed pirate attacks in key waterways like the west coast of Africa, Gulf of Aden, Horn of Africa, Bangladesh, and the Strait of Malacca, highlighting persistent challenges to maritime security.
What is Maritime Piracy?
It refers to criminal acts of robbery, violence, or other illicit activities committed at sea. These acts are typically carried out by individuals or groups known as pirates, who attack ships, seafarers, or coastal areas with the intent of stealing cargo, valuables, or demanding ransom.
Reasons for Maritime Piracy:
- Inadequate Maritime policing: Regions such as Gulf of Aden, Horn of Africa often suffer from poor maritime policing, where coastal countries have weak or nonexistent maritime forces.
- High shipping traffic and choke points: Piracy-prone areas frequently coincide with major shipping routes, particularly at choke points where geographical features force ships to converge or slow down. E.g., Strait of Malacca.
- Economic factors and unemployment: Poor governance, political turmoil, and economic instability in coastal regions contribute to high unemployment and poverty. In turn, desperate economic conditions may drive individuals to turn to piracy as a means of financial gain, exacerbating crime rates in these areas. E.g., Somalian region.
- Legal complexities in International waters: Many piracy-prone areas are international waters, straits, or archipelagic waters falling under the jurisdiction of multiple countries. This complexity leads to challenges in legal frameworks, jurisdictional disputes, and difficulties in coordinating international efforts to combat piracy effectively.
India’s role in Counter Piracy operations:
- Undoubtedly, the Indian Navy has demonstrated remarkable proactive engagement in the volatile regions off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden.
- Since the initiation of its anti-piracy patrol in 2008, the Indian Navy has consistently intervened, thwarting multiple pirate hijacking attempts on merchant ships.
- The navy's unwavering commitment is evident in ongoing operations, such as the recent coordinated rescue of the Sri Lankan fishing trawler, Lorenzo Putha.
- Notably, the Indian Navy played a pivotal role in pushing back the boundaries of the high-risk area in the Arabian Sea during the peak of Somali piracy (2009-12), showcasing its effectiveness in ensuring maritime security and combatting piracy.
International efforts to combat piracy:
- The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) was created in 2009 pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1851. This voluntary, ad hoc international forum brings together countries, organizations, and industry groups with an interest in combating piracy.
- Shared Awareness and De-confliction (SHADE) (#PrelimsFact) is an international operational counter piracy platform, aimed to encourage partners for sharing information, and to de-conflict operations amongst counter-piracy actors.
- Djibouti code of conduct established under International Maritime Organisation (IMO) provides for sharing of piracy-related information, through its information sharing network against Ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. (#India is observer) (#PrelimsFact)
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides the framework for the repression of piracy under international law.
Ways to tackle Maritime Piracy:
Operational measures:
- Visible presence of Maritime forces: The mere presence of naval ships and aircraft serves as a proactive measure to dissuade pirates from carrying out attacks.
- Warning and escort services ensures that merchant ships transiting high-risk areas can join convoys between designated points, enhancing their safety through collective security measures.
- Surveillance through Information fusion centers ashore play a crucial role in consolidating data and intelligence, aiding in the identification and tracking of potential threats.
Long term measures:
- International collaboration and communication for sharing critical information to effectively thwart piracy attempts. E.g., US coordinated Maritime coalition.
- Good governance: Coastal nations must work towards establishing stable political environments, implementing effective governance structures which helps in reducing poverty, and creating an environment less conducive to criminal activities.
- Economic development: Promoting economic development in coastal regions such as investment in infrastructure, job creation, and sustainable livelihoods can diminish the incentives for individuals to engage in criminal activities at sea.
- Community engagement: Involving local communities in coastal areas through awareness campaigns in order to integrate them into maritime security efforts. E.g., Puntland strategy (Somalian State).