On Sunday, four pirates armed with grenade launchers took control of a fishing ship with 13 Spaniards and 13 others, according to BBC News. A day later, the Spanish government sent a Naval frigate, setting up the latest military standoff between a Western government and a band of Somali criminals.
About 10 days ago, France sent a special forces team that freed a yacht full of their citizens and arrested several pirates. In December, the U.S. Navy led a multinational effort to end a spate of hijackings.
All of those actions were in reaction to hijackings, but preventative measures are also in place when it comes to United Nations ships carrying food and other aid to Somalia. Recently, the Dutch government began escorting the ships, taking over for Denmark.
Short of escorting every ship passing through the danger zone off Somalia, governments have yet to figure out how to avoid pirate attacks in the first place. One option, of course, is to stay away entirely, as the U.N.’s agency on piracy advises ships without business at a Somali port. “Keep as far away as possible from the Somali coast,” the International Maritime Bureau warns. “Ideally more than 200 nautical miles.”
Source: NY Times, April 21, 2008