Apr 13, 2012 (Foreign Policy) — A shocking rise in pirate attacks over the last decade has left many in the shipping industry scrambling for protection. Amnon Gutman of Foreign Policy photographs a tanker and its security detail in the dangerous Gulf of Aden, off the Somali coast.
n p r n e w s
on:
NCPR is supported by:
This is a Visitor-Supported website.
More from NPR
May 25, 2013 — As the nation prepares to mark Memorial Day, outrage has been building on Capitol Hill and beyond over the military's failure to repair a system that has placed service members in more danger of sexual assault than of battlefield injury.
May 25, 2013 — President Obama banned enhanced interrogation techniques, but he's largely avoided discussing whether the tactic ever produced valuable information. He might not be able to avoid it forever: The CIA is preparing an official response to a report that concluded the techniques were worthless.
May 25, 2013 — On a cold and rainy day in Boston thousands gathered to finish what two bombs stole from them. A one-mile run traced the home-stretch of the Boston Marathon, giving spectators, runners and victims a chance at closure.
May 25, 2013 — With rising economic power, a new generation of Indian women is giving matchmaking a modern twist. While most Indian marriages are still arranged, single women are increasingly making their own choices, meeting potential mates via marriage-focused websites and companies that organize group outings.
May 25, 2013 — The contentious little creatures were allowed in the Chelsea Flower Show for the first time in its 100-year history. Their presence has been hotly debated, but celebrity-decorated gnomes will be sold for a cause.
Crew members secure barbed wires on the side of the tanker to prevent potential pirates from climbing aboard two days before going into the high-risk zone. (Foreign Policy)
Foreign Policy: How To Pirate Proof Your Tanker
by Amnon Gutman
Apr 13, 2012 (Foreign Policy) — A shocking rise in pirate attacks over the last decade has left many in the shipping industry scrambling for protection. Amnon Gutman of Foreign Policy photographs a tanker and its security detail in the dangerous Gulf of Aden, off the Somali coast.Amnon Gutman is a photographer based in Israel.
A shocking rise in pirate attacks over the last decade has left many in the shipping industry scrambling for protection, leading to a new market for security forces trained to fight off the swashbuckling foes. Photographer Amnon Gutman witnessed this scramble for security first-hand as he sailed one of the most dangerous waterways in the world with a crew, their cargo — and a private security detail trained in pirate-deflecting techniques. The fear of attack, especially near Somalia, is a well-founded one. As Gutman notes, of the 439 attacks reported to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in 2011, 275 attacks took place off Somalia's east coast and in the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa. However, while Somali pirates continue to account for the majority of attacks — approximately 54 percent — and while the overall number of Somali incidents increased from 219 in 2010 to 237 in 2011, the number of successful hijackings decreased from 49 to 28. The 802 crew members taken hostage in 2011 also marks a decrease from the four-year high of 1,181 in 2010.
This may be because of more aggressive policing — the European Union recently authorized its most expansive mission against pirates in Africa — but many ships aren't taking any chances. On this journey through the Indian Ocean on a shipping vessel that wishes to remain anonymous, SeaGull security walked through the methods still being developed to combat modern piracy.
View The Slideshow At Foreign Policy
Copyright 2013 Foreign Policy. To see more, visit http://www.foreignpolicy.com/.9(MDAxNzgwMTg5MDEyMTQ4Nzc4MjdiNWVmMw004))
Missing some content? Check the source: NPR
Copyright(c) 2013, NPR
