Jay Currie

Somali pirates have already earned more than £20m in ransom payments this year, and individual ships have recently been fetching millions of dollars each. At least a dozen vessels and more than 250 international crew members are being held hostage. Most of the ships are anchored near the fishing village of Eyl, high on Somalia’s Indian Ocean coast, including the Ukrainian-owned MV Faina, which is carrying 33 Russian-made tanks. guardian

Looks like that ransom thing is working out well.

One would think that the combined navies of the world would be able to stop the pirates or at least convoy the ships. I suppose it is too much to ask for a Hornbloweresque character to actually sail a well armed naval vessel into the pirate cove and simply shoot several hundred of them.

And planes. I hear there are planes not too terribly far away. Here’s a thought: if you see a speedboat full of armed men offshore for no good reason you use those cannon things and sink it. Do that a few times and the “pirates” will think several times before venturing out. With planes you can mark off an exclusion zone and simply sink any unauthorized vessels within that zone.

(And sure, by all means put out leaflets, explaining what you are doing. Although I would do that after the task force went into to shoot up the pirates at their base.)

Update: Another approach.