Practical Piracy
Arrrr You Informed About the Modern Quest For Gold?
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS PIRACY? Piracy can be defined as robbery or hijacking aboard a ship, and people who partake in piracy are known as pirates. Piracy is a dangerous crime that affects many product transportation vessels
around the world.
WHY DOES IT HAPPEN? People usually become pirates to gain money because issues within politics or the economy severely hurt the country, and piracy is taken as their last resort. Main causes for some people to start using piracy would be poverty and
pollution. 
Poverty- Many people are forced to live in poor conditions because they do not have the money to strongly support themselves in society. Some people need to find a way to survive and find stable footing.

Pollution- Coastal regions use the sea for fishing. If pollution pushes the fish away, then the coastal regions lose a major export and therefore their economy drops.
So why is this an issue?
Piracy causes damage to transporting vessels and countries face losses in
product shipping. Piracy also jeopardizes crew members on boats and cruises. Shipping industries take a huge hit from seafaring robbers.
DID YOU KNOW? What do pirates do? Many modern pirates have heavy-duty firepower, including automatic weapons, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades. Pirates are also often equipped with cell phones and other tech gadgets to keep in contact with organizers who feed them information about ships and their locations. Many pirates’ weapons are specialized to their geographic location, with the most dangerous usually being in the South China Sea and Somalia.
The estimated annual loss due to piracy worldwide is about $13 to $16 billion. Unfortunately, most carriers decide not to report piracy incidents due to the financial burden. When an incident of piracy is reported, ship owners experience insurance rates that can increase by as much as 30% as well as the daily loss incurred during an investigation that can often run about $1000 a day.
Where is it? With the recent news about the pirate capture off Somalia, it may appear to some that modern pirates are isolated to this geographic area. While the political upheaval in Somalia does provide an ideal, lawless hideout for pirates, the fact is pirates are often found in many places around the globe. Some areas most frequented by pirates include the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the waters of Indonesia and Singapore.
So where is this happening? Somalia has been around since ancient times with cave paintings dated around 9000 B.C. and gone through many wars and advancements, it is now is terrorized by pirates. Location: Somalia, situated in the Horn of Africa, lies along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Capital: Mogadishu. Population (2010 est.): 10,112,453 (growth rate: 2.8%); birth rate: 43.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 107.4/1000; life expectancy: 50; density per sq mi: 38 Hijackings off the Somali coast have pushed piracy to its highest levels since an international agency began keeping statistics in 1991. Piracy incidents off the Somali coast peaked in September 2008 with 19 attacks
FACTS!
Worldwide Incidents: (as of 8 February 2011) Total Attacks Worldwide: 58 Total Hijackings Worldwide: 7 Incidents Reported for Somalia: Total Incidents: 45 Total Hijackings: 8 Total Hostages : 169
Where is this happening (cont’)
A California couple sailing around the world and giving out Bibles were hijacked by Somali pirates last week – then killed along with another couple as gunfire broke out between the U.S. Navy and their captors on Tuesday, according to the U.S. military. Jean and Scott Adam, from Southern California, and Phyllis Mackay and Robert A. Riggle, from Seattle, were sailing the Arabian Sea, hundreds of miles off the coast of Oman, aboard a boat called the Quest. Their journey was part of an around-the-world expedition organized by Blue Water Rallies, whose organizers say the Quest broke off from the group on Feb. 15, taking an alternative route to Oman after leaving Mumbai. For a solution to the piracy dilemma, people should seek a higher power such as the president. Sending letters to congress in regards to piracy, ask the Obama administration to:
1) Ensure safe passage for humanitarian aid. 2) Introduce a U.N. resolution banning the dumping chemical waste in Somali waters and banning the illegal hyper-fishing off of the Somali coast 3) Introduce a U.N. resolution that mandates a massive international effort to clean the countless barrels and containers of radioactive materials dumped in Somali waters 4) Sign a security treaty with the Somali unity government. This would not only mark the first time the United States signed any treaty with Somalia, but it would send a peace message to the rest of the Muslim world that America is indeed ready to establish formal relationship with anyone on issues of mutual interest. 5) Help build a Somali navy to protect its own waters. 6) Use legal actions in order to freeze and confiscate assets. Any military actions are just belligerent and would egg on the pirates
Somali Pirates kill American Hostages Four Americans, Phyllis Macay and Robert along with Jean and Scott Adam, were sailing the world to distribute bibles and were taken hostage and killed by Somali pirates. When the United States came to the ship and took it over two pirates we’re already dead. How they died is still unknown. Thirteen additional pirates have been detained after they became violent and began shooting at the United States Forces. The 2 deaths mark the first time that pirates have been killed in any raids of American ships. They believe that nineteen pirates were involved in the raid of the yacht. It is also thought that the pirates had a mother ship around one-hundred and ninety miles off the Oman coast.
Pirates hijacked vessel carrying seven Danish people, three of which were children. United States vessels arrived at the scene along with Danish naval ships. Governments are now trying to warn people when passing through the Arabian Sea to stay on typical ship lanes because of the scares from the pirate attack. In 2007, five men were taken hostage for 83 days by pirates The pirates have began to make themselves more known and more violent as they take their hostages in the seas.
In conclusion, the threat of modern piracy is a growing matter in the seas of our world society. With a bit more water patrolling, we can fight and end today’s practical piracy.
For more information, please visit these http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/07/060 706-modern-pirates.html
http://people.howstuffworks.com/pirate5.htm http://www.thewayofthepirates.com/history-ofpiracy/modern-piracy.php