Somali pirates have stepped up their attacks and ignored monsoon storms to range the entire width of the Indian Ocean using hijacked gas and chemical tankers as "mother ships".
The dramatic expansion of their operations comes in the
face of a campaign against them by European Union and Nato navies and is now
costing the world's economy $12bn (£8bn) a year.
Late last year the MV York, which was heading to the
Seychelles, was hijacked, and now it is being used as a base for pirates who
can use it to stay at sea for months and carry their lightweight attack craft.
Experts warn that this is just one of five similar
vessels - some of which, like the MV York, are carrying cargos of gas or oil
which make them almost impossible for foreign forces to attack them.
So far this year at least 20 ships have been attacked and
about six captured - their crews being held in appalling conditions off the
coastal towns of Hobyo and Haradheere.
According to Oceans Beyond Piracy, a study group of
experts from 18 countries, the cost of extra insurance for crossing through
waters affected by pirates in Somalia is close to £2bn a year.
Ransoms for ships and their crews have skyrocketed - the
average "fee" in 2005 was £100,000 while in 2010 it climbed to £3.3m.
And the average length of time hostages spend in
captivity while lawyers and agents working for insurance companies haggle over
the price of their release is close to eight months.
The International Maritime Bureau's most recent survey
shows that there were 1,181 hostages taken last year, with around 700 still
being held on about 30 ships.
"These are the highest figures we have ever
seen," said captain Pottengal Mukundan, director of the International
Martine Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre.
Even though the combination of naval task forces have
caused a drop in attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, they have been
unable to prevent the long range pirates in the larger "mother
ships".
"These vessels are as fast as most commercial
shipping, they offer a stable platform to fire on a bridge from, and they can
spend months at sea," said Gary Porter, head of security for the Danish
shipping company Clipper Group.
"The use of these ships is a very dangerous
situation - they have a perfect firing platform and they're going to cause
extensive damage."
So, some ask, why do the Somali pirates get away with it?
Why can't they be shot, sunk or arrested when they attack - and jailed when
they're caught?
The answer lies in complex maritime law.
Stephen Askins, a a lawyer with Ince in London, explained
that Nato and the EU do not "have a mandate to make war against Somali
pirates" which means that pre-emptive attacks are forbidden.
"There are at least 29 ships and 700 hostages being
held off the coast of Somalia - a rescue attempt would be tough enough on one
ship but that many is impossible.
"And while some companies are looking at putting
armed guards on their ships they will be governed by the laws of the nation
whose flag they are flying.
"There is a right of self-defence, but who decides
when and how to use lethal force?"
The result - according to a consortium of experts from 18
nations - is "a critical tipping point" which could permanently shift
"maritime trade patterns".