Somali pirates

So I'm watching Captain Phillips, and got wondering. Why do shipping companies not employ a few armed security guards on ships. It would be so easy to light up the pirates from such an elevated vantage position.

Reply 1

Umar1

10

Original post by danny111

So I'm watching Captain Phillips, and got wondering. Why do shipping companies not employ a few armed security guards on ships. It would be so easy to light up the pirates from such an elevated vantage position.

What you think of the film? I thought it was decent.

No point now, as piracy is practically finished in Somalia because of the huge naval presence and the situation at home drastically improving. Piracy in West Africa is more serious at the moment.

According to international laws and agreements, merchant ships are civilian. No country has the right to sink ships that are foreign, even if they are pirate skiffs in International waters...

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 2

danny111

OP

3

Original post by Umar1

What you think of the film? I thought it was decent.

No point now, as piracy is practically finished in Somalia because of the huge naval presence and the situation at home drastically improving. Piracy in West Africa is more serious at the moment.

According to international laws and agreements, merchant ships are civilian. No country has the right to sink ships that are foreign, even if they are pirate skiffs in International waters...

Lol I paraphrase "our hoses can sink their skiffs"... so they are allowed to sink them with a hose, but not shoot armed intruders? That way they wouldn't even sink the ship, just defend themselves. Incredible that that isn't "allowed" on international waters. I mean who would prosecute them anyway? The UN? **** all they do.

Makes very little sense to me.

Reply 3

danny111

OP

3

Okay saw it til the end. Which incidentally was very good. I liked the part at the end with the doc, really showed how much of an ordeal it actually was, because throughout 95% of the film he looked like he wasn't bothered.

Reply 4

HarryHawcroft

Please note the films interpretation and integrity is biased to create a suspenseful film. The crew have since stated the Captain put them in danger and created further difficulties for the rest of them (finishing the fire drill).

Not that it is really important to the original post.

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Reply 5

danny111

OP

3

Original post by HarryHawcroft

Please note the films interpretation and integrity is biased to create a suspenseful film. The crew have since stated the Captain put them in danger and created further difficulties for the rest of them (finishing the fire drill).

Not that it is really important to the original post.

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Why is carrying out a fire drill wrong?

And yes, has little to do with the actual point of the thread.

Reply 6

Noble.

17

Original post by danny111

Why is carrying out a fire drill wrong?

And yes, has little to do with the actual point of the thread.

Probably because doing the fire drill, playing 'games' with the pirates put their lives at risk. The best thing to do in that situation is, unfortunately, probably to just surrender and give the pirates what they want (although I don't think the odds of good outcome are particularly good in that situation either). In regards to your question about the armed guards, the reason they don't probably boils down to two main reasons - cost, armed guards aren't cheap, especially not to have them on a ship overseas. The second reason is there are probably legal complications, I don't think the departure or receiving port would be too happy dealing with armed guards. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem having armed guards board in the USA, but when they get to foreign ports it might be a different story. Someone who understands maritime law, or some of the laws surrounding international waters, might be able to give a concrete answer.

Reply 7

Aj12

18

Original post by danny111

So I'm watching Captain Phillips, and got wondering. Why do shipping companies not employ a few armed security guards on ships. It would be so easy to light up the pirates from such an elevated vantage position.

It is actually illegal to have armed guards. What a lot of companies do is.hire armed guards then dump the weapons as they get into port and.buy new ones when they next set off.

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Reply 8

SoftPunch

3

Original post by danny111

So I'm watching Captain Phillips, and got wondering. Why do shipping companies not employ a few armed security guards on ships. It would be so easy to light up the pirates from such an elevated vantage position.

I have a question!!!!! I watched this film and I am confused; don't such ships have weapons on their boards???!!!

Reply 9

danny111

OP

3

Original post by Aj12

It is actually illegal to have armed guards. What a lot of companies do is.hire armed guards then dump the weapons as they get into port and.buy new ones when they next set off.

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Why not just leave the guns in a safe. Surely water police don't make every ship open their safe. They don't care what's on the ship but what's coming off into their country.

Reply 10

Aj12

18

Original post by danny111

Why not just leave the guns in a safe. Surely water police don't make every ship open their safe. They don't care what's on the ship but what's coming off into their country.

They might get searched or something like that when they get back to their home port. Its not worth the risk when guns are so cheap whilst getting caught with them is expensive and risky.

Reply 11

TurboCretin

20

Original post by danny111

So I'm watching Captain Phillips, and got wondering. Why do shipping companies not employ a few armed security guards on ships. It would be so easy to light up the pirates from such an elevated vantage position.

Armed guards may, depending on the circumstances, be permitted. Legal status of security onboard aside, there is a danger that weaponry on board will (a) increase the likelihood of danger to the crew in the event of piracy and (b) cause pirates to upgrade their own weaponry. An arms race in this context would be a nightmare.

Also, the master of the ship is ultimately responsible for the security of the vessel. It might create issues if such control is taken out of his hands, such as might be the case with armed guards on board.

Reply 12

thesilverking

1

The whole Somali pirates thing has been whitewashed so thoroughly no one considers why they came into existence. The core root of the problem are two-fold: international boats stealing Somali marine resources and the dumping of toxic nuclear waste and heavy metals that has caused a spike in cancer and other illnesses all along the coast.

What were these fishermen who had their livelihoods taken away by foreigners who employ techniques banned around the world meant to do?

I'm not saying the pirates are justified, but they didn't just appear randomly.

Reply 13

Micccol

9

Original post by thesilverking

The whole Somali pirates thing has been whitewashed so thoroughly no one considers why they came into existence. The core root of the problem are two-fold: international boats stealing Somali marine resources and the dumping of toxic nuclear waste and heavy metals that has caused a spike in cancer and other illnesses all along the coast.

What were these fishermen who had their livelihoods taken away by foreigners who employ techniques banned around the world meant to do?

I'm not saying the pirates are justified, but they didn't just appear randomly.

Thank you. Finally. Consider how the USA or other western countries would respond to the toxic poisening and destruction of their territory by outside corporations....

Yet the pirates are still the bad guys...

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Reply 14

Apocrypha

15

Original post by danny111

So I'm watching Captain Phillips, and got wondering. Why do shipping companies not employ a few armed security guards on ships. It would be so easy to light up the pirates from such an elevated vantage position.

Id like to reply to this with my 'stupid left wing moron' (imaginary) view.

No, these people need rehabilitation and the government should be funding services and get these poor people of the streets........ I mean the.. Seas..

Screw it, put a few M134's on the deck.

Reply 15

Apocrypha

15

Original post by Micccol

Thank you. Finally. Consider how the USA or other western countries would respond to the toxic poisening and destruction of their territory by outside corporations....

Yet the pirates are still the bad guys...

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Have you got a wooden leg and is your parrot speaking for you?

Reply 16

danny111

OP

3

Quite funny BBC article recently said piracy has gone down a lot, because of three things.

Naval presence, improving situation in Somalia, armed guards. So yes, apparently companies did start using armed guards.

Reply 17

Umar1

10

Original post by danny111

Quite funny BBC article recently said piracy has gone down a lot, because of three things.

Naval presence, improving situation in Somalia, armed guards. So yes, apparently companies did start using armed guards.

I would argue the Puntland maritime police force has had much more of an effect on piracy going down then armed guards.

Somali pirates

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