Pirates of the Gulf of Aden

Over the last decade, Somalia has become synonymous with piracy. Several countries, including India, have been affected directly or indirectly because of this menace. Despite patrolling and intervention by security forces of many countries, Somali pirates have exacted several hundred million dollars in ransom, held over a thousand people as hostages and disrupted trade worth $12 billion annually. The cost of keeping naval channels safe, security on ships, delays in sailing time and increased insurance premiums all add up to a sum that has to be borne by consumers. Security measures, however, address only one issue—and perhaps at the wrong end of the stick. To appreciate why the combined might of several countries fails to check this threat, it is important to understand the root of the problem rather than its manifestation.

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