The Somali coast of East Africa has been the center of piracy for over 12 years. A cruise ship was the last target. It escaped but a legacy of fear and worry for this coast is forcing a call for denominating it a "combat zone".
Just recently a Sebourn cruise ship, the Seabourn Spirit with 302 passengers, of whom 18 were British, was attacked off the coast of Somalia by pirates in two 25 foot inflatable boats. They attacked at high speed with rocket propelled grenade launchers and automatic weapons. It was felt that this was an act of piracy rather than a terrorist attempt.
The result of this attack was a loungeful of safe passengers, a crew who had been specially trained to repel people trying to gain entrance to the ship and a captain and bridge crew who first tried to run the pirates down at high speed, discharged a sonic "bang"; then changed course and outdistanced them.
Sebourn is a Carnival owned subsidiary. Carnival Cruise Lines is their worldwide headquarters based in Miami, Florida. It must have been a frightening time for the tourist-passengers and used the crew to their utmost; but it was not the first or the worst of the piracy off the Somali coast of East Africa over the past decade plus. Somalia has had no recognized government in 14 years.
The Times noted that,
"Numast, the maritime union, will meet the Chamber of Shipping in London this week to demand that the waters off Somalia, where there have been 25 attacks on shipping since March, be designated a combat area.
Such a declaration would give crew members the right to refuse to sail there, force shipowners to recruit extra staff for security duties, entitle crews to danger money and guarantee seafarers insurance cover."
The International Maritime Bureau has requested international shippers to maintain their craft at least 50 miles offshore. The pirates have become more invasive with one attack 120 miles from the coast. Ship owners have been advised to install electric fencing to repel boarders.
Article comments
1 - Nancy
Why doesn't somebody put a few rocket grenades of their own on their ship, & blow the fuckers out of the water when they try to attack? Half a dozen counter attacks like this could probably cause these assholes to think twice.