'The unacceptable situation prevailing now, with seafarers lives being threatened on a daily basis — and Somali pirates still operating with impunity — cannot be allowed to continue by the nations of the world,” said Joseph J. Cox, president of the chamber. “There is a growing concern among the national ship owner associations that the international community is not actively seeking to eliminate piracy and is instead treating the current level of attacks against shipping as somehow 'tolerable.'
'It is particularly upsetting when the main focus of some senior politicians both here and abroad is limited to commenting on their objections to the payment of ransoms or even worse suggesting that payments are or should be illegal,” he continued.
The protection of shipping from piracy — regardless of flag, or the nationality of the crew — is a clear and legitimate responsibility for governments under the traditional law of the sea, which is codified in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, said the chamber.
“Traditionally, a primary role of navies has always been to protect merchant shipping and to keep sea lanes open to trade,” Cox said. “It is extraordinary that governments today seem less able to protect shipping than they were almost 200 years ago.'
The chamber said it is engaged with the U.S. government in reacting to piracy as it affects U.S.-flag ships and ships of all nations.
