If only they were miners

If only they were miners

Thomas Timlen Asia liason officer, BIMCO tt@bimco.org

On Second Thought'

   The plight of the 33 Chilean miners trapped 700 meters underground last year caught the world's undivided attention for 69 days. Since then the rescue capsule has been on display in China and Canada.
   In the meantime the number of seafarers held hostage by Somali pirates has climbed to more than 800, many trapped for months on end. Yet in comparison with the miners, public concern for the seafarers appears to be muted if it exists at all.
   The few hostages that received media attention when liberated from their Somali captors involved the captain and crew of the Maersk Alabama, heroically rescued by U.S. Navy SEALS, and a British couple released only after a ransom payment was made ending months of captivity. Meanwhile the hundreds of seafarers that remain in captivity are rarely mentioned in the mainstream media, and are not paid much attention upon release.
   As the level of violence and deaths increased during recent weeks as Somali pirates continue to extend their reach across the Indian Ocean, stakeholders in the shipping industry have intensified their calls to the world community for action. A focused campaign in major newspapers and the launch of a dedicated Web site attempts to draw attention to this worsening situation and the potential impact it ultimately may have on world trade and seafarers' safety and welfare.
   In this joint effort shipowners and seafarers are calling on 'people power' to push governments to act immediately and show the political will to resolve the growing Somali piracy crisis.
   The SOS Save Our Seafarers campaign, launched last month by BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Shipping Federation (ISF), Intercargo, INTERTANKO and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), is aimed at encouraging millions of people around the world to heap pressure on their national governments to crack down on piracy.
   The campaign aims to raise public awareness of the global impact the Somali piracy crisis has on everyone. The dramatic recent extension of the pirates' operating area across the Indian Ocean means there are now no alternative routes available to ships to avoid the Somali pirate gangs, especially for oil tankers coming out of the Gulf. While shipowners and seafarers remain determined to keep these vital trade routes open, they are quickly reaching a point at which they will have to choose whether to trade through this area or not.
   Perhaps not commonly known, merchant ships are attacked on a daily basis, running a gauntlet of gunfire and rocket-propelled grenade attacks from armed gangs of Somali pirates. The more than 800 seafarers held hostage on their hijacked ships are subjected to physical and psychological abuse for months at a time. They are held for ransoms amounting to millions of dollars.
   In the face of such a threat, perhaps the most frustrating aspect is that in 80 percent of situations in which naval forces successfully respond to merchant ships under attack, pirates that are caught red-handed are released to attack again.
   Why is this so? Primarily a lack of understanding among the world's politicians with respect to the severity of this situation. Governments hold the key to resolving this crisis, but few are unwilling to face reality and act. Their brief to the naval forces is simply to deter and disrupt, unless it involves a national interest.
   It is in light of this continuing dilemma that the Round Table of International Shipping Associations and the ITF placed hard-hitting advertisements in key major international newspapers on March 1 to kick off the SOS Save Our Seafarers campaign. The ad campaign highlights the plight of seafarers and, with six specific requests, brings pressure to bear on governments to show more political will and fewer legalistic excuses in dealing with Somali piracy.
   The shipping industry is specifically asking for governments to recognize the threat to the seafarers and the world economy, and to take the necessary steps to eradicate piracy at sea and ashore by:
   ' Reducing the effectiveness of the easily identifiable pirate motherships.
   ' Authorizing naval forces to detain pirates and deliver them for prosecution and punishment.
   ' Fully criminalizing all acts of piracy and intent to commit piracy under national laws in accordance with their mandatory duty to cooperate to suppress piracy under international conventions.
   ' Increasing naval assets available in this area.
   ' Providing greater protection and support for seafarers.
   ' Tracing and criminalizing the organizers and financiers behind the criminal networks.
   Through two clicks at a new Web site for the SOS Save Our Seafarers campaign,    www.saveourseafarers.com, supporters can send a pre-prepared letter, signed by them, to their chosen heads of government. The Web site will also have up-to-the minute information on the piracy situation, and an SOS TV page with film clips and pictures.
   Perhaps the statement by BIMCO President Robert Lorenz-Meyer best sums up what must be done: 'It's time for governments across the world to take firm action against the pirates that attack and hijack our ships. The current practice of releasing apprehended pirates without trial is a disgrace to our seafarers and to the international conventions. The upholding of international law and order is being grossly neglected.'
   The miners have been saved. It is time for the world to save its seafarers.