• At a time when 354 seafarers and 16 ships are being held hostage in Somalia, pirates are being released unprosecuted to kidnap, loot and maybe kill again, when it is impossible to use routes via the Suez Canal between Asia/the Middle East and Europe/North America without passing through a high risk area...

There comes once in a life time when a people having been pushed to the wall have a choice of either remaining perpetually stuck to the wall and keep receiving heavy poundings from their enemies or bounced back and confronted their enemies bravely in order to end their aggressions against them. The maritime industry worldwide chose the latter course when last week, an action group representing stakeholders from the entire shipping industry, from crews to owners, presented a 920,000 strong vote for real action to end Somali piracy.

The group, as Vigilance learnt, an unprecedented coalition of seafarers’ unions, ship operators, welfare organisations and more, unveiled the massive response to their “End Piracy Now” petition at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, at the same time as it was being presented to governments worldwide.

Incidentally, September 23rd was the UN-designated World Maritime Day and press were invited to a photo opportunity from 11:15 to 11:30 when the signatures were handed over to the IMO’s Secretary General in front of a large window overlooking the River Thames and a life-size statue of a seafarer standing on a ship’s prow. The occasion offered a very rare opportunity for a collection of experts, seafarers and those with knowledge/direct experience of piracy to be interviewed.

The petition was launched just four months ago as the centrepiece of a campaign to persuade all governments to commit the resources necessary to end the increasing problem of Somalia-based piracy. Originally intended to achieve half a million signatures, it has far exceeded that figure and definitively proves that immediate action is needed.

At a time when 354 seafarers and 16 ships are being held hostage in Somalia, pirates are being released unprosecuted to kidnap, loot and maybe kill again, when it is impossible to use routes via the Suez Canal between Asia/the Middle East and Europe/North America without passing through a high risk area, the campaign calls on governments to:

• Dedicate significant resources and work to find real solutions to the growing piracy problem
• Take immediate steps to secure the release and safe return of kidnapped seafarers to their families
• Work within the international community to secure a stable and peaceful future for Somalia and its people

The campaign was led by BIMCO, ICS, IFSMA, IMEC, IPTA, Intercargo, InterManager, International Group of P&I Clubs, INTERTANKO, ISF, ITF, IUMI and SIGTTO and actively supported by national shipowners’ associations and trade unions worldwide and by the ASF, ECSA, ICMA and ICSW.

David Cockroft, ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) General Secretary said: “Thousands of seafarers are being put at risk daily by fewer than a thousand AK-47-toting bandits, and world trade is literally being held hostage. The response of nations – and every country in the world is affected – has varied from near-heroic to hand-washing indifference.

Mr Cockroft said further: “At a time when some countries are actively escorting merchant ships and pursuing pirates and a few – too few – are prosecuting them when caught, the majority, including many of those who make the most from shipping, are doing little or nothing. For us, this campaign is about making everyone step up and shoulder their responsibilities.”

Lending credence to Cockroft, while speaking on behalf of all the signatory associations, ISF (International Shipping Federation) President, Spyros M Polemis added: "Since the crisis began over 1,500 seafarers have so far been taken hostage, often for months at a time and in truly awful conditions; a situation which is simply unacceptable. Our primary concern is humanitarian. While we greatly appreciate the efforts of governments and their navies to protect merchant shipping, we need a new strategy and additional military resources. Governments must really wake up to the enormity of the problem, as the number of pirates continues to increase in the knowledge they can act with virtual impunity, potentially closing a large section of the Indian Ocean to the movement of global trade, almost all of which is carried by sea. The international community can no longer afford to sit on its hands and cede control of its vital seaways to criminals."

The coalition partners had also explained the reasons for the campaign – which has been supported by signatories in 185 countries – in a letter sent last week to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (included in full with this release). It explains:

‘The implications of piracy for maritime safety are considerable. Since the escalation of the piracy crisis in 2008, hundreds of ships have been attacked with gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades and over 1,500 seafarers have been taken hostage, usually for months at a time, in terrible conditions. As we write, 16 ships and 354 seafarers are being held in Somalia. There is a real and growing anxiety among seafarers and their families about being attacked and hijacked. We are very concerned about the effects that piracy is already having on the shortage of skilled seafarers, particularly senior officers, with some deciding they would prefer not to take the risk of being kidnapped for ransom.

‘Well over 25,000 vessels on international shipping routes pass through the area at high risk of piracy each year, in addition to the substantial Indian Ocean tuna fishing fleet and local fishing and cargo vessels. Ships are regularly fired upon and damaged. Many ships taken hostage are chemical carriers or ships carrying oil or hazardous materials, adding to the potential for an environmental disaster.’