More than 170 of those vessels were hijacked, with some
3,400 seafarers taken hostage and 25 of them killed, according to Intercargo, a
global merchant-ship owners' group.
For the pirates, it is big business, earning them US$160
million (Dh587.6m) last year in ransom for the return of ships, cargo and crew.
For the world economy, it is a major drain, with piracy
off the Horn of Africa alone costing an estimated $7 billion a year.
This is made up of: paying ransoms and insurance
premiums; the extra fuel for faster steaming or rerouting ships; security
measures from armed guards to fabricating safe citadels for crews; and funding
the presence of naval forces.
About 40 per cent of the 42,500 ships that criss-cross
the region each year now use armed guards, compared to 15 per cent a year ago,
according to Protection Vessels International, one of more than 150 marine
security companies with clients operating in high-risk areas.
However, the cost of stationing armed guards on a ship
can range between $18,000 and $60,000 to cross the danger zone. If your vessel
is a large container ship, the cost of steaming through the area at maximum
speed can add $200,000 in extra fuel to a voyage.
These are critical figures for an industry in sharp
decline since 2008, suffering under the double blows of falling cargo rates and
too many ships. The container ship industry lost $11.4bn last year, according
to SeaIntel Maritime Analysis, a consultant based in Copenhagen.
reason for the decline, he says, is increased naval
activity. Also, no ship with armed guards aboard has been hijacked by Somali
pirates.
But stationing more warships in the region is
prohibitively expensive, and putting guns on ships is not without its own
risks. The international community agrees.
