After I wrote this article and sent it to several several maritime or maritime-connected editions, I’ve got letters from seamen and companies with words of understanding and support. I’ve sent article also, to ECOTERRA Intl., by now well-known and recognized source of information and analysis of Somali piracy, and they answered me with quite correct critics. First of all, I didn’t mention ECOTERRA Intl. as in fact, the only one news and information agency, criticizing international policy towards Somali and especially, poor results, at very high costs, of so-called “international antipiracy mission”. Second, they believe I’m wrong in my statistics principle, I count only highjackings of vessels, registered in world shipping databases, and ignore local vessels, like dhows or vessels with dubius history and shipowners.
In many ways I’m standing on the same principles as ECOTERRA Intl., and sometimes in fact, I feel this Agency is the only one sharing same ideas and approaches. As for my statistics, it’s not the question of counting this case and ignoring that, I should give more detailed explanation to an idea of humanitarian help, and I add a paragraph, describing this idea.
My name’s Mikhail Voytenko, I’m owner, editor, columnist, programmer, designer and everything else in one, of Russian maritime online edition Maritime Bulletin. During last three years I became something of a piracy expert in Russia and I’m still is, though I had to flee Russia after Arctic Sea story. I’ve been involved in several highjack cases, among them highjacking of m/v Lehmann Timber, ro-ro Faina, boxship Hansa Stavanger, bulker Ariana, f/v Thai Union 3. The more it all goes on, the more I wonder, because from my point of view, now we have Somali piracy and fighting this Somali piracy, they’re different processes, living independently of each other. Bulker Ariana story just turned me on and I decided to establish a special site devoted to seamen, whom nobody helps, whose relatives found themselves in a total emptiness, who asked for help all organizations and institutions, and didn’t even get a reply.
There are such international organizations, as IMO, BIMCO, ISF, ICS, Intertanko, Intercargo, ITF and others. All the time through we hear from them how important it is to fight piracy. How we must better fight piracy. General Secretary of IMO is among first in line, saying platitudes here and there all the time. We have to fight pirates, proclaims General Secretary one day. We have to put more efforts to fight piracy, syas he the next day. You know, if I go now on the street with a placard “Let’s all fight piracy”, effect will be the same, zero. The only difference is, what I say will go unnoticed, what he’s saying is wide-spreaded all over the world, but repeat – with the same effect, pirates simply don’t know, that there’s IMO fighting them with all GenSec’s lungs might. Not only IMO, all the rest are doing the same. Well, they don’t just bla-bla, they get something more substantional from this fight. Last year there was an International Fund established in New York, with the purpose of helping to prosecute Somali pirates. Main initiators are inernational maritime organizations. Fund was established in days when Ariana crew was starving, and their relatives were crying for help everywhere, including those organizations. They didn’t pay least attention to those pleas, they were busy fighting pirates and establishing this Fund. Now, my question is, whom they’re going to prosecute, half of Somali’s population? There are ten wiiling to take a place of one pirate arrested or killed in high seas, and by the way, there are more and more deaths among pirates, as they go far to the ocean, and as navies shoot them without much publicity at every opportunity. One can’t prosecute the whole nation, even if he’s General Secretary of something and has a Fund at his disposal. So, what for are these ridiculous Fund and unrealistic idea, whom will they serve finally?
IMO awarded “for exceptional bravery at sea” nearly all navies patrolling Gulf of Aden, even Indian, whose fregate gunned to pieces Thai fishing vessel with all hands on board, only one survived. Let’s frankly say, there is no exceptional bravery for navies, pirates are no danger for them in any way. But this is only one aspect, another one is effectiveness of the whole military activity in the region. With forces involved, it’s very poor. Well, we understand that we’re talking about operation, for which modern navies are totally unprepared, it’s a guerilla war at sea.
But why nobody, including international maritime organizations and associations, never proposed ideas long time talked over by seafarers and navies between themselves? There are two different ways to fight Somali piracy. One is to eliminate piracy roots, i.e. either to find and back with all possible means some real national power, capable of restoring an order in a country, or occupying either all of Somali or at least some key points among coastline. This is strategical way, beyond at least my scope, too much politics. Another one is totally different – to secure shipping in the region, to make it safe. This one is tactical. Mistakenly or not, but those two ways are presented like one for public. As we know, navies aren’t able to guarantee safety even in Transit Corridor in a Gulf, not to say about the rest. Still, there is such a way, but it requires a real international cooperation, not this “deepening cooperation” they feed us with. What I mean is very simple, it’s not just my idea, it’s idea of many. The only guarantee is a team of mariners or commandos, they’re better than any private security agency guards just because they’re legal in all ways and they’re much better armed. All most interested states are to do is, to establish some kind of a shuttle guard teams, delivering them on board of any commercial vessel in point A and taken from board in point B, with several floating bases to host those teams, and of course, delivery facilities, from helos to Zodiaks. Leave in a Gulf several patrol ships, and send the rest to wholly unprotected Indian ocean. Why nobody even mention this idea, widely discussed and supported between seamen and navies, in talks, on Forums, in blogs?
But even this aspect isn’t the main I’m worried about. I’m worried about highjacked crews. Why nobody among global shipping leaders, ever, said something about helping those people? Establishing not a Fund to prosecute pirates, but a Fund for humanitarian help to highjacked crews, and monitoring service, so that at least relatives won’t go mad from anxiety for their beloved ones? Those who read this article, did you ever talk to relatives of captured seamen? I’ve been talking in some cases for months, every day. I know what they’re going through, and I say – it’s a shame. Shame on all and every maritime organizations. Take for example bulker Ariana case – relatives wrote letters to all maritime institutions, no answer at all. The reason for cruel treatment of the crew from pirates was only one – greediness of shipowner, Spiros Minas. Did any of those organizations talk to him? Mention this case as an example, a problem – what to do if shipowner just don’t give a damn for the fate of the crew? No. Nobody said anything.
Another thing I worry about, is ransom and all other expenses related with piracy, and covered mostly by shipowners. Question is – why? Why do they have to pay for something which originated not from their faults and which is out of their reach? Global shipping works as we all know, for global ecomony, for all humankind. There is a country, where order can be restored only on some international, interstate level. Why owners pay all the costs and there is no compensations from international community? Far from that, here and there politicians express their protests against paying ransoms. Those people don’t understand what they’re talking about, and still, many of them are leaders of the nations or high-placed officials. They specially or not, mix piracy and terrorism, but those two are wholly different in nature. If owners stop paying ransoms, then, Somali pirates will simply rob vessels and take all crew or some of the crew with them, to sell seamen later to their relatives. Not millions, but still better than nothing.
There are two main victims of pirates, seamen with their relatives, and shipowners. And they’re all alone in their misfortunes, nobody cares, including our honorable IMO, BIMCO, ITF, ICS, ISF and many others.
After all, what risks we’re talking about? IMB said there were 47 vessels highjacked by Somali pirates in 2009, I have different method of calculating, because I don’t include in statistics many local highjacks (dows or some vessels with murky history), too doubtful, both highjacks and release. I count only ocean-going vessels registered in world databases, those we know were released after talks with shipowners, whom we also know, and paying ransom. If one stats only those cases, he’ll get no more than 30 vessels highjacked during 2009, 14 in Gulf of Aden, the rest in Indian ocean. As we know, there are 25000-30000 vessels transiting Gulf annualy, so what is the risk of highjack? Crossing heavy traffic street is more dangerous. Somali piracy, in case somebody don’t figure it out yet, demonstrated us during last two years some physical limitations. They can’t hold more than 15, 20 at the most, vessels in one time, they can’t grab 1-2 vessels each day during say, a month period. Each wave of attacks and highjacks was preceded by a wave of releases. Pirates get rid of several vessels, get millions in ransoms, and massively go to the sea to get another prey. All in all, Somali piracy is no real danger to a global shipping, at least till they’re alone and don’t get mixed up with organized crime or terrorists. But there are enough highjacks to get publicity and even establish internationa Funds, to bla-bla every time there is nothing else to say and nothing to divert attention from other real problems. I don’t talk about those who make money on piracy, like insurers, security agencies and others, this is just business. I talk about politicians, states, international organizations and institutions, associations and unions. Their behavior is most disgraceful and shameful, they simply use piracy to get more credit and publicity. They’re ready and willing to fight piracy for years to come, as long as it brings them what they’re after.
But there are other accidents and incidents, where maritime institutions keep silence and prefer not to interfere. For example, a case of bulker Island of Luck. Here is the story in short:
Bulker Island of Luck arrived Matadi, Congo, October 4 2009. Crew 23, 15 Ukraine and 4 Russia, including all officers. Bulker detained on a false accusation, crew assumed to beat and throw overboard 4 stowaways, one of them died. First the whole “case” was faked up because local company, receiver of the cargo, rice in bags, didn’t want to pay for a shipment in full. Now it’s more politics, local authorities before elections want to demonstrate their struggle to defend locals from foreign, namely european, “abusers”. By January 14 nearly all crew managed to return home except 8 arrested, their present condition almost unknown. Among them Ukranian Master and Russian Chief Officer, all others are Ukranians. Relatives know from some rare mobile phone calls, that they are kept in cells with local criminals and in constant danger of beign beaten or killed, just because they’re of a different race, “abusers” of African people. Cellmates rob sailors of their food rations, sailors have to sleep and rest in watches, in order to stay alive. Court constantly delayed because witnesses mistake their evidence, because actually, case is faked, and don’t stand any serious trial. Shipowner abandoned vessel and crew, reaching agreement with insurance and Congo authorities, he stopped paying salaries to families of those under arrest.
Relatives asked for help all institutions they know, I mean IMO, BIMCO, ITF, ICS, ISF and others. No reaction. I understand to some extent ITF, when they keep silence, they actually say by that silence loud and clear – “sorry, but no profit here, we’re out”. What about the rest? Or another case, two Ukranian citizen, Master and 2-nd Officer of bulker B.Atlantic, they’re under arrest in Venezuela for third year. Many sailors and shipowners know what I’m talking about – authorities “find” packs with cocaine underwater, attached to a hull, and then arrest vessel. In this case vessel is already confiscated, but Venezuela can’t exploit bulker in international trading because they weren’t able to prove crew or shipowner involvment, they can’t in fact prove anything, and if vessel leaves inner waters, she will be detained and returned to rughtfull owner. So Venezuela needs a court, something official to claim her rights on this bulker. But nothing comes, no court would have to do anything else except close the case and free seamen and vessel.
Where are defenders of seafarers rights, IMO, BIMCO, ITF, ICS, ISF, etc.? Why do they stand for a Master arrested by Norwegian authorities in Full City case, in some other cases, also in countries where we have little doubt court will be a just one, and don’t even mention cases like the ones abovementioned? Do they mean it’s politically incorrect to criticize Congo or Venezuela regimes, or do they consider Russian and Ukranian sailors inferior to others, those they care about? Or it’s simply doesn’t pay, to help crews and shipowners, if they have problems with some “doubtful” countries and regimes? Too much trouble with too little, if any, award?
Final question – who they are, those IMO, BIMCO, ITF, ICS, ISF and others? In all my years in maritime journalism I didn’t ever see or read any criticism of any of them. Why? They don’t need it, because they’re perfection itself, they’re already gods? You know, before all cases I got involved in, I hated only Russian bureaucracy, now I hate international one no less than Russian. I hate their well-fed pinky cheeks and big bellies, I hate their empty, icy eyes, warming only when they see a profit. I was born and grew up in Soviet Union. One of the reasons Soviet regime fell, was total lack of any criticism. Criticism was a punishable misbehavior with serious risk for critics. I don’t know about any such risks in case of maritime bureaucracy, but I know for sure, for 100 pct, that any industry is steering to dangerous waters and to disaster, if leaders of this industry are above critics.
Humanitarian help and monitoring
When vessel is highjacked, not only crew is doomed to suffering, strain and misery, but their relatives as well, and sometimes they’re under more strain than those in pirates captivity.
We have to accept piracy as a fact and start thinking not just about fighting piracy (there are already too many “fighters”), but about helping the victims of piracy. Nothing is done yet, nobody even raise a question of helping these people, though Somali piracy goes on for years. Nevertheless, there are ways to help them. Let’s call idea as a Humanitarian Mission, with two main tasks – monitoring situation in general in well-known pirate bases, like Haradhere or Eyl, and providing to crews of all vessels in need, be those vessels ocean-going or local dhows, with all supplies they need: fresh water, food, medicine and medical assistance. Help and supplies are to be given to pirates also, Mission is stricltly humanitarian, with no distinctions and discrimination. More to that, Mission is to render medical assistance to locals also, if of course it will be possible. I think, elders in Somali, locals and pirates themselves won’t mind this Mission, and there’s a good chance to reach understanding and agreement with them. Relatives of crew don’t ask for much – they simply want to know what are living conditions of their beloved ones, do they have enough water and food, can they get medical assistance when they need it. If they get a message from Mission – all is well as it may be under circumstances, they at least won’t be mad from anxiety and lack of information. More often than not, it’s not just lack of information, it’s total information blocade, gladly supported by some shipowners, those whose main concern is not the crew, seamen’s life and health, but their money.
Technically the project is very simple to realize, by chartering a vessel of a small tonnage, somewhere between 1,000 – 3,000 mt displacement, the best suited are either research or hydrographic ships. Vessel is to be loaded with supplies, there must be medical facilities, plus of course team of guards. In terms of costs, one such vessel sailing along Somali coast on a constant basis is incomparable cheaper than any Navy’s frigate. I think, this Mission is to be financed by first of all, most interested states, whose citizen fall prey to pirates more often, than others. We all know such states – Philippines, India, Ukraine, Russia, Indonesia, etc. I don’t even mention a role international maritime organization could play in such a Mission, just because I know they won’t go for it. At least till the Mission will get a recognition, but then – who’ll need them? Anyway, that’s not only my idea, I was trying to get it started, talking with Ukranian authorities, and I hope they didn’t give up considering it. Among all state I mentioned above, Ukraine looks to me as most responsible for her citizen in distress.
I hope, ECOTERRA Intl. will back this project and help in any way they may and find appropriate.
Mikhail Voytenko
January 24
