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Abstract

In the early 21 st century pirate attacks emanating from Somalia made headlines across the globe. Piracy emerged from Somalia in the 1990’s and 2000’s for several reasons such as state failure and extreme poverty, and established itself as a dangerous criminal enterprise. The phenomenon of piracy developed into a significant threat to seafarers and global trade and the international community responded by deploying International naval task forces to the seas around the horn of Africa in late 2008 and 2009. This dissertation is a review of existing literature and reporting data in relation to Somalian piracy and the counter piracy task forces deployed by the international community, conducted in order to establish the effectiveness of naval counter piracy task forces.
This dissertation will consider the history of piracy globally and in the country of Somalia. A review of the causes of piracy in Somalia, the methods employed by Somali Pirates and the wider conditions that allowed its development in the country was undertaken. Consideration was then given to the literature surrounding counter piracy methods employed by both the international community and by the shipping industry. Piracy reporting data, ransom payment data and UN reports of prisoner interviews were examined and assessed and the effectiveness of the deployed international naval forces established. The literature and the data support the conclusion, in line with opportunity and rational choice theory, that the International military response has provided an effective deterrent to Somali pirates, acting as a capable guardian to shipping transiting the region. Accordingly, this dissertation recommends that these assets should remain in place until such time as a stable Somalian government can supply its own capable guardian.

Course: Criminal Justice - MSc - C2681F

Date Deposited: 2024-11-21

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14572.html