Attacks against commercial ships have tripled over the past decade, with 285 reported cases last year alone, says Dana R. Dillon, a Southeast Asia policy analyst in Heritage's Asian Studies Center. Acts of maritime piracy range from the classic boarding and hijacking of a merchant vessel on the high seas to the more common act of stealing from a ship while it is anchored.
Pirates usually target the ship's stores, safe, and the crew's valuables.
While few pirates attempt to steal a ship or its primary cargo, almost all reported acts of privacy involve armed intruders who threaten and often injure, kidnap or kill members of the crew. The United States has not helped institute security guidelines to protect Asian ports, where 70 percent of piracy acts occur. Safer ports will lead to fewer piracy attacks, resulting in lower shipping costs and insurance fees, Dillon says. Recommend that the International Maritime Organization establish specific port security measures, and that Asian countries reform their maritime security forces, particularly in Southeast Asia. Authorize funds for the U.S. Coast Guard to train foreign maritime organizations to fight piracy.