FIGHTING PIRATES IN THE 21ST CENTURY
One Welsh company’s mission to keep vessels safe off African coast
THE traditional view of pirates for many is a Robert Louis Stevenson-inspired swashbuckling Long John Silver, searching the high seas for plunder, booty and doubloons.
But in 2009 a very different view of piracy emerged.
British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler were taken hostage by Somali pirates and the issue of piracy became international news.
The couple were released a year later and the face of piracy was no longer grizzled 19th-century bandits but desperately poor young men primarily from the horn of Africa.
This led to an explosion of companies offering security to private vessels travelling in the internationally recognised High Risk Area (HRA) off the coast of Africa.
One such firm is Cardiff-based Sea Marshals Risk Management Ltd.
Their director of operations is 50-year-old Steve Collins.
“Essentially our remit is to provide men and weapons to vessels that pass through the HRA,” said Mr Collins.
“Although it is not just there – it can be as far south as South Africa and east towards Indonesia.
“We help provide all kinds of security against stowaways, robbery and piracy. Piracy is the main one.
“Private maritime sea companies got really big in 2010 but have been around since 2006-07.”
The company offers protection for a wide range of vessels, including cruise liners, private yachts, bulk carriers and oil tankers. Main clients are vessels carrying cargo like grain.
Pirates’ hijackings have been shown in many films and TV programmes in recent years, with the most famous being big-screen blockbuster Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks.
According to Mr Collins, such representations are not far from the truth. He said: “It is absolutely similar. “There is not much difference – I think it is portrayed quite accurately.
“If pirates do board a vessel they are exceptionally aggressive.”
When it comes to recruitment the company targets exclusively exmilitary personnel.
“The recruitment has changed a lot over the years,” said Mr Collins.
“There is no point drafting anyone who doesn’t use arms on a regular basis.
“We used to only recruit British ex-military but the market was flooded and we now employ men from other countries such as India, Ukraine and Serbia.
“There are still Brits working in the industry, however.”
As the nationality of the people fighting the pirates has changed, so has the origin of the pirates themselves.
Mr Collins, who used to work for Lloyds, said: “The majority used to be from Somalia but it became such a good earner you see pirates from elsewhere, including Eritrea and Yemen.
“Nationality is not important. A pirate is a pirate and they are just criminals at the end of the day. Piracy does not come in a specific nationality.”
He explained how there are “two different methods of piracy” used to try to extort ransom payments.
“The original one was to hijack the whole vessel. They would then go to an island, disembark the whole crew, and hide the vessel somewhere.
“It sounds ridiculous but you wouldn’t believe how big the ocean is. It could take years for them to get the money.
“The second method we see more on the west coast near Nigeria. They will take the captain and chief engineer and then ransom their return.
“They would then threaten to chop off a hand if they are not paid – then threaten to send the other one. That way they get their money very quickly.
“Once an owner or insurance company pays it creates incentives for others [to follow that method].
“It could be between £1m and £10m but the final amounts are not revealed. The pirates may demand £10m and then come back with £1m.”
Clearly either method is terrifying for those involved and the firm has very clear procedures to repel potential attacks.
Mr Collins said: “One of the first things they will do is show their weapons and body armour in order to put off the pirates.
“If this doesn’t work they will fire warning shots – perhaps at their boat’s engine or in the water around them.
“We are using semi-automatic weapons – we are not firing 100 rounds a minute.
“The pirates will normally be on small, fast vessels and comprise about four to six men.
“They are fighting against skilled men on a stable platform.
“It is important to remember that we are on larger vessels that, because of their weight, are travelling slowly. So they are firing from a more stable position.
“We use as little force as possible. We have a similar use of force to the military.
“We record all the engagements online at riskmap.com to alert other vessels to the danger.”
Of all the times boats with Sea Marshal staff on are approached, 90% end in no fighting. Having armed men on board is usually enough and the pi- rates will go and look for easier targets.
Over the past five years they have had to engage on average between three and four times a year.
If pirates ever board a vessel with private security staff on, it will be the end of the company as reputation is everything, said Mr Collins.
Each Sea Marshals man is armed with a standard kit that includes body armour, satellite phones, binoculars, a GPS, helmet and night vision goggles.
In recent years there has been less activity from the pirates and this has led to some companies taking calculated risks and not having security staff on board.
“There hasn’t been a successful hijacking in four years,” said Mr Collins. “The industry has almost been a victim of its own success.
“At the peak there were about 100 of these companies, with 50% of them being British.
“Now there are roughly 50. The ones with the biggest reputations succeeded. There are other nations, including Greek and Korean companies.
“Now that the amount of hijackings has gone down companies think it is not that dangerous and they are taking risks. They are going through without protection.
“There are thousands of vessels travelling through the area a month and if two are attacked they think their odds are good.
“The pirates haven’t disappeared but have pursued other things. They pick up on this and come out of hiding.”