Publisher’s Note
WHATEVER THESE MAY BE, WAYS AND
MEANS DO EXIST TO COMBAT SEA PIRACY
I
n today's era where free trade continues to be a must--despite protectionist
measures being applied in the West--the sea lanes that bound the East and
the South, have become much busier than ever as these are where many of
the emerging markets are located.
The more these emerging markets open up their economies, the more free
trade will be a winning proposition on their part, except for one major hin-
drance: SEA PIRACY.
According to published reports and news items that we encounter, much
of sea piracy activities are confined in four major areas: the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of
Guinea in West Africa, the Strait of Malacca between Indonesia and Malaysia and be-
tween India and Sri Lanka. As the economies of countries along these areas continue
to grow full steam, so is the risk of piracy.
There may be several reasons why piracy proliferates: as a means to air social griev-
ances due to inequalities that abound in countries like Somalia, which is along the
Gulf of Aden; to seize precious cargo such as petroleum products, luxury goods and
quality agricultural produce and to sell these at black market rates; as a means to
support terrorist groups, whether we'd like to admit it or not; or simply to earn more
money through ransom, which is very illegal, among others.
But whatever reasons these may be, let us all be aware of the perils that piracy
brings to the global economy. Still, there are several ways and means that can com-
bat this dilemma. Much as it is difficult to enumerate these steps, these measures
can be successful if there are concerted efforts between all the stakeholders: the
shipping companies, the maritime organizations at local, regional and global levels,
and the naval, as well as military, forces if needed.
If the shocking events of 9/11 gave the civil aviation sector the urge to impose
more stringent yet effective measures to prevent hijacking on a global scale, let the
same be done to protect our waters of free trade against these human, economic
and security threats.
PHILIP O. ORTALEZA
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