The Ancient Crime of Piracy

In 75 BC, Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates off the island of Pharmacussa, near the coast of Africa: “[W]hen the pirates demanded a ransom of twenty talents, Caesar burst out laughing. They did not know, he said, who it was that they had captured, and he volunteered to pay fifty.” After he was released, he came back and crucified them (Plutarch). While piracy may seem like an ancient crime, for many years, kidnapping for ransom and hijacking for cargo theft have been a significant issue around the seas of Africa (Ten Things). Around 2008, piracy came back, driven by political instability in countries like Somalia (Palet), and it quickly became a profitable industry; in one incident, Somali pirates received $9,500,00 in ransom to spare the lives of Greek sailors they captured. According to the Center for Strategic Studies, there was a 244% increase in ship hijacks and 212% increase in hostage-taking between 2004 and 2008 in Africa. As Captain Poulin of the US Navy writes, “Piracy is a threat that transcends national borders. In a world where ninety percent of commerce travels by sea, anything that threatens maritime stability and security will have global ramifications” (Poulin). However, in recent years, piracy has gone down due to global initiatives to combat it.

Pirates have been deterred by innovative new technology, armed guards, and the creation of the world’s biggest pirate prison (Mungai). No ship with armed guards has ever been hijacked — however, the issue is controversial. The idea of armed guards has raised questions about the legal implications of having “floating armories” and the African government’s responsibility for mariners’ safety. In addition, many ships have installed water hoses, razor wires, and safe rooms (Rothwell). Other inventions include long range acoustic devices which emit loud sound frequencies to disorient pirates, boat traps with nets to disable motorboat propellers, and “Anti-Piracy Barriers” which prevent ladders and grappling hooks from attaching to ships (Mungai).

The primary reason that piracy has gone down is because of international collaboration among maritime powers. As the problem grew worse, the United Nations gave nations the authorization to combat piracy on African waters (Poulin). Ironically, the failure of one government led to concerted and and effective action by others: “With Somalia unable to police its waters, piracy became a problem that powerful governments saw as theirs to solve” (Mungai). Many task forces were convened, and over twenty countries contributed ships to the anti-piracy effort. One successful counter-piracy program, involving China and the United States, helped train the two navies to patrol the East African seas and work together effectively. Countless other United Nations resolutions also called countries to action; Resolution 1851 stated, “[O]rganizations that have the capacity to do so, [should] take part actively in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia…by deploying naval vessels and military aircraft” (Poulin).

Although the modern resurgence of piracy has been controlled for now, many experts  say that if the problem is considered solved and ignored, it will just come back. Further action is still required to combat piracy, primarily in West Africa where the problem is still growing. In addition, further reforms need to be made to address the current lower levels of piracy. Some argue that piracy patrols should also regulate other types of maritime crime such as human trafficking (Walker). Regardless, it is clear that piracy is a relevant issue that comes with high consequences for the economy and human lives, and it cannot be ignored. While piracy may seem like an ancient crime, it has modern ramifications that every country should be concerned about, especially Africa.

Works Cited

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Plutarch. "Caesar and the Pirates." Livius. Trans. Robin Seager. N.p., 23 Nov. 2015. Web.

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Poulin, Andrew. "How the World Overpowered Piracy in the Horn of Africa." International Policy Digest. N.p., 16 Jan. 2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

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Walker, Timothy. "Africa: Beyond Piracy - What Next for Maritime Security?"

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