Say the word pirate to anyone these days and many would automatically think of Captain Hook, arch nemesis of Peter Pan, or Johnny Depp donning the swaggers of Jack Sparrow swinging from ship masts brandishing a beautifully sculptured sword. These images are all well and good in the world of film and fantasy but in the real world, pirates do exist and their level of criminality is set on a more damaging and life threatening level.
Modern-day pirates may not wear an eye patch or wave a sword in your face, but they are more real and more dangerous than any of the fictional characters we’ve grown to love as children. Nothing about the sea pirates of today is lovable. The only thing they invoke is fear, and to anyone who’s become their victim – post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The release of a group of Somali pirates from Kenyan prisons has sparked concerns about where they are likely to go next.
Ocean Tankers told IHS Maritime it plans to strengthen its anti-piracy measures in the wake of the second hijacking its fleet has suffered within a year.