Piracy: a threat to maritime security and the global economy.

• Author: Farrell, Lawrence P., Jr.
• Position: President's Perspective

One of the least understood global security threats is the ongoing struggle to contain piracy off Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

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These are not the only venues where piracy is practiced, but they are the most visible and, lately, problematic. It is not understood well because it doesn't directly affect the daily lives of most people. Piracy is a major concern for shippers, insurance agencies, underwriters, crews and cargo owners. It does ultimately affect all consumers because it can drive up the price of goods, including oil, other commodities and manufactured products.

Some readers might recall the capture of the Maersk Alabama and the imprisonment of its captain. Navy SEALs were dispatched to rescue the skipper and demonstrated their impressive skills.

Shipping companies have pretty much been on their own to cope with piracy. Remember that pirates morphed from fishermen whose grounds were encroached upon and ended up resorting to the much more lucrative piracy business.

As time wore on, national navies took up the cause, with loosely coordinated patrols to waive off pirates. This cooperation was enhanced by reporting mechanisms and armed guards on ships. The pirates' response was to gain better intelligence and to use mother ships to extend their reach by hundreds of miles.

The response to all this was to provide armed guards on commercial vessels. Most guards are from private maritime security companies, and some came from host militaries. This was the case in Italy, where Italian Marines served aboard Italian-flagged carriers.

It is estimated that 60 percent of commercial carriers now have armed guards. And in 2012, reported incidents have dropped dramatically. The question is whether this will be a lasting trend.

An incident involving ships guarded by Italian Marines illuminates some of the issues. As pirates operated out of Somalia, the shippers were advised to hug the Indian coast when coming and going to the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal. This took them through Indian fishing grounds and posed conflict with Indian fisherman, many of whom were armed.

In February, the Enrica Lexie encountered what were perceived to be pirates. The Marines fired warning shots, and reported the incident to their command in Bari, Italy. Later, aboard an Indian ship, the St. Anthony, two crewman were killed by fire from a tanker. There were several tankers in the vicinity of the incident, but only the Enrica Lexie...