Where there is sea, there are pirates, Part 3

Pirates attacking off the coast of Somalia are now using satellite phones and GPS devices to track their prey. The technology is making it easier to find and overpower large container and cargo ships. Crucial shipping lanes pass through Somali waters, allowing for the trade of oil, gas, and cargo throughout the region. So far this year, at least 10 pirate attacks and many more attempted attacks have occurred off of Somalia's 2,300-mile coastline.

"We prefer hijacking ships to being on land because that way we can feed ourselves," said Somalian pirate Abdulahi Hasan Afdhub to a French journalist via satellite phone from a hijacked Taiwanese ship.

Pirates took control of the boat, a fishing vessel, earlier this month, killing one crew member and holding others hostage. The boat is one of five known vessels that are currently being held by Somali pirates, all attacking on speedboats mounted with machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, and AK-47s.

Aside from the cargo, pirates on board (via satellite phone) or accomplices on the ground negotiate a minimum of $25,000 for an empty boat and $400,000 for a fishing vessel with a catch on board. Merchant vessels tend to go even higher. Earlier this year, Somali pirates held a boat for four months, eventually negotiating $2.5 million. The pirates only see a fraction of the spoils, however. Only five leaders (possibly local warlords) are thought to control all of the piracy operations along the Somali coastline.

Somalia, which is located in the horn of Eastern Africa, has had no official government since 1991, and most of the ransom funds are thought to arm local militias. The International Maritime Bureau has declared the Somalia coast to be one one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world.

Sources: The New York Times, The Mail & Guardian, The Peninsula Online,

Also check out: Where there is sea, there are pirates, Part 1 and Part 2