The Trouble With Pirates - Video

[hummingway]

For those of you able to see the content at this location:

CBC.ca Player

[Dave the Canuck]

Watched it last night and thought they did a very credible job. Well worth watching.

[perchance]

Originally Posted by hummingway

For those of you able to see the content at this location:

CBC.ca Player

Is it just me or were the pirates portrayed in a somewhat sympathetic light. And I find it sad that the only fatality was caused by the rescuers.

[hummingway]

I thought they were sympathetic to the plight of the Somali people, not the pirates. The point about being aware of why it occured so it can be avoided in the future was well made I thought.

[Reckless]

I believe the reason behind the start of the piracy were legit and a desperate attempt for local fishermen to reclaim their waters, but human greed too over and it is no longer about fishing rights, or getting what they deserve.

They have become vicious criminals, feed by greed. The gravy train needs to stop.

[hummingway]

It looks that way to me. One of the things I wonder about is how do you deal with these guys even if you do stop the piracy? They are heavily armed and have learned there is a lot of money to be made in the bully trade.

[senormechanico]

If the pirate boats don't return to shore after an "outing" and that happens several times, maybe the rest of them will get a clue that it's not a great way to make a living...

[Capt Phil]

Sorry to disagree with you on this one, Reckless... you are correct that these Somali fishermen are upset with interlopers fishing what they consider to be their fishing grounds but the siezing and ransoming of yachts, their crew and large freighters and tankers takes firepower, planning and coordination, equipment and fairly sophisticated communication which you don't find in a third world backwater which Somalia is. There are well financed and powerful folks behind these pirate acts, not just poor, indigent fishermen.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

If the pirate boats don't return to shore after an "outing" and that happens several times, maybe the rest of them will get a clue that it's not a great way to make a living...

See that's the rub. The French went after them agressively and shot one of the people they were trying to save. As for the Somali's they'll say a trip to Modadishu is as likely to cost you your life any day and doesn't have a payoff. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[DWT]

This vidio came to me today:

http://true-turtle.livejournal.com/85315.html

[hummingway]

A mother ship I'm guessing. That was one heavily armed fishing boat.