Asian shipowners want tougher anti-piracy steps

ASIAN shipowners, outraged by the escalating and brutal attacks by Somali pirates on their ships and crew, are demanding that the United Nations and concerned governments act decisively to bring the situation under control.

Clearly dissatisfied, though thankful for current arrangements whereby some governments have sent their navies to patrol the waters off Somalia, the Gulf of Aden and parts of the Indian Ocean, the Asian Shipowners Forum (ASF) said yesterday that the UN and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) must exercise 'strong political will' to bring the situation under control.

It declared that Somalian piracy is the most pressing issue for the shipping industry today and made it clear that the ultimate responsibility for ensuring safety of navigation on the high seas should rest with the governments.

SS Teo, chairman of the ASF's safe navigation and environment committee, said that the situation was increasingly untenable and considered current arrangements for the protection of the affected sea lanes unsustainable in the longer term.

The Asian shipowners's group held a meeting of its safety committee in Singapore and issued a statement to 'Express their anger and outrage' over the worsening situation and the brutality of some of the Somalian pirates.

The group's reaction comes as more governments have sent their navies to the region and have been involved in taking on the pirates with some success. But the pirates, who are now better organized and entrenched, have become more vicious and this has struck fear among the shipowners, who have been known to pay up millions of dollars in ransom in exchange for the safety of their crew and return of costly cargo. <Korea Shipping Gazette>