GS Paper II

News Excerpt:

Recently, the Indian Navy thwarted two piracy attempts off the Somali coast within a span of 36 hours.

Issue of Maritime crime of piracy:

• Definition and Spectrum of Piracy: The term ‘piracy’ is used to describe a range of crimes from petty theft from ships at sea or anchorage to armed robbery and hijacking of a ship for ransom.
• Historical Continuity of Piracy: Piracy is as old as sea-faring itself, and has existed for centuries in various forms. 
• In recent years, waters off the west coast of Africa, Gulf of Aden, Horn of Africa, Bangladesh, and the Strait of Malacca have seen attacks by pirates.
• Concerns Surrounding Ransom Hijacking: The hijacking of a ship for ransom causes panic in maritime business and leads to the establishment of high-risk areas, and a resultant increase in maritime insurance premiums. It also affects the safety of ships and seafarers, and disrupts global supply chains.
• Pirate Tactics and Operations: Operating from a pirate mother ship accompanied by small, high-speed skiffs, they target slow-moving, lone ships with small crews. Approaching discreetly, pirates use grapnels and ladders to board, often armed with small weapons.

Causes of piracy in regions such as Horn of Africa and the Strait of Malacca:

• Poor Maritime Policing: These sea areas are poorly policed. The coastal countries have weak maritime forces, or none at all.
• Shipping Traffic Concentrations: These areas normally have concentrations of shipping traffic, being either choke points in shipping routes where ships are forced to converge or slow down by geography, or anchorages where ships remain stationary for days before entering port.
• Governance Issues and Turmoil: Often poor governance or turmoil on land close to these areas leads to unemployment, poverty and consequently, crime.
• Socio-economic Drivers of Pirates: Individuals engaged in piracy off the coasts of Somalia or in the Gulf of Aden often grapple with extreme poverty, compelling them to resort to desperate acts at sea. Meanwhile, their handlers strategically operate from shore locations, orchestrating criminal activities.
• Legal Complexities in International Waters: These areas are mostly international waters, international straits, or archipelagic waters which are long stretches of sea that fall within the maritime jurisdiction of several countries. This leads to legal complexities and difficulties in coordination.

Marine Forces Anti-Piracy Response:

• Visible Presence: Maritime forces maintain a visible presence that aims to deter pirates from carrying out attacks.
• Surveillance and Intelligence: Their ships and aircraft undertake surveillance of the high-risk area, identify suspect vessels, and report them for further investigation. This is supported by information fusion centres ashore.
• Warning and Escort Protocols: The forces warn passing ships about suspect vessels and announce escort schedules, if any, so that merchant ships transiting the high-risk area can join convoys between designated points.
• Proactive and Reactive Intervention: They proactively or reactively intervene to manage a developing situation, foil a piracy attempt, or rescue a hijacked vessel while trying to ensure minimum casualties and damage.
• International Collaboration: Participate in coordinated maritime coalitions with other naval forces. This involves a common communication protocol, information sharing, and joint efforts to thwart piracy attempts.
• Utilization of Armed Helicopters and Commandos: Deploy naval assets equipped with armed helicopters, providing rapid response capabilities. 
• Specialized marine commandos play a crucial role in intervention operations, ensuring the safe release of crews from the piracy threat.

Role of Indian Navy:

• Proactive Anti-Piracy Patrol:  The Indian Navy has been among the most proactive forces deployed in the troubled area off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden. Its anti-piracy patrol that started in 2008 continues to this day.
• Preventing Hijacking Attempts: Actively intervened in developing situations, successfully foiling several attempts by pirates to hijack merchant ships.
• Boundary Expansion of High-Risk Area: The boundaries of the high-risk area that covered much of the Arabian Sea during the height of Somali piracy (2009-12) were pushed back westward primarily due to the efforts of the Indian Navy. 
• Several recent intervention and rescue operations: This includes the rescue of a Sri Lankan fishing trawler in a coordinated action with the Sri Lankan and Seychelles navies and the rescue of two Iranian flagged boats with Iranian and Pakistani crew by the Offshore Patrol Vessel INS Sumitra within 36 hours.
  

Some steps taken to combat piracy:

Way Forward:

• Enhanced Maritime Policing: Strengthen coastal countries' maritime forces to improve policing in vulnerable sea areas, deterring pirate activities and ensuring a more secure maritime environment.
• Address Root Causes on Land: Tackle instability and misgovernance on land by engaging in diplomatic efforts and international cooperation to address issues such as unemployment and poverty, which contribute to the conditions fostering piracy.
• International Collaboration: Promote global collaboration through diplomatic channels to facilitate coordinated efforts in combating piracy, sharing intelligence, and establishing a united front against maritime criminal activities.
• Capacity Building for Coastal States: Build the capabilities of coastal states to independently manage their maritime security, providing training, technology, and resources to empower them in countering piracy effectively.
• Legal Framework Enhancement: Develop and strengthen international legal mechanisms for the trial and disposal of captured pirates, addressing jurisdictional challenges and ensuring fair, consistent, and effective legal proceedings against piracy offenders.