CAMM Position 04-06: Piracy

Position
04-06

Piracy
Terrorism at sea goes unnoticed

OPPOSED

CAMM opposes the concurrent large burden of Port Security requirements which will go into effect in July of 2004 while leaving idle a response to the burgeoning acts of terrorism being inflicted on ships and her crews.

Statistics for 2003 (Source: International Maritime Bureau):

21 Seaman died as a result of piracy
21 Seaman died as a result of piracy
445 Piracy incidents were reported compared with 370 in 2002. (This is the 2nd highest number of attacks since the IMB�s piracy reporting center began compiling statistics in 1991).
Piracy incidents are becoming more violent. Attacks using guns climbed by 50% from 2002 -2003 to 100.
Number of hostages taken doubled in one year to 359.
19 Vessels were hi-jacked

CAMM supports a real action plan by the International Community to enact sweeping changes in the level of naval/police protection afforded merchant vessels at sea in known pirate waters.

CAMM believes that the trend of increasing incidents involving greater violence and using increasingly sophisticated techniques signifies a dangerous development by terrorists that is not receiving the attention and action that it deserves. The use of maritime assets by terrorists to invoke a large loss of life, property and environmental damage is huge and must be better addressed in today�s post 9/11 world.

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