“Shame on you, pirates”, said shipping “elite”

“Shame on you, pirates”, said shipping “elite”
Voytenko Mikhail Nov 5 2019 https://maritimebulletin.net/2019/11/05/shame-on-you-pirates-said-shippi...

I notified several of my friends, seamen on board of ships, on recent piracy attacks in Gulf of Guinea. Their reaction was unanimous – we’re protected only when there’s a private armed guards team on board, there’s no other guaranteed way to defend us from thugs and kidnappers. But not any team, with that. In Greek Aframax ELKA ARISTOTLE attack, there was guards team on board, but it didn’t help. For all I know, it was a local team, not the team, provided by international private security agency, manned by hardcore vets of elite special forces, like Russian Spetsnaz or UK’s SAS (being on active service in pre-diversity era), or US SEALS. Hence total failure – the team didn’t thwart the attack, one of the team was wounded, pirates board the ship and kidnapped crew members.

When my friends ask me about private armed guards and their availability any time and in any place crew need them, my answer is always the same, short and unambiguous – it’s impossible, as long as there are UN and IMO. There’s nothing UN and its’ branches hate and fear more, than a free, independent and capable of self-defence man or industry. Such men and such industries are absolutely incompatible with the UN’s plans and projects. UN needs slaves, not free people.
Besides that primeval UN fear of strong men, there are some other considerations, also. UN tried to monetize Somali piracy, not without success. But private armed guards saved the day and secured shipping from piracy, notwithstanding UN efforts to prevent wide-spread armed guards deployment.

With Gulf of Guinea, it’s a different story – all coastal States in Gulf of Guinea, however impotent in tackling the piracy, are very successful in confronting international private security services. Not without their reasons, of course. Everything is business in there, including piracy, counter-piracy and security. Still, UN has a pretty good chance to meddle in this lucrative market, with its’ “initiatives”, “working groups”, “think-tanks” and of course, funds, to be sucked from shipping and from developed nations.

Shipping as industry, as one united body and community, could perhaps rebel and force the UN and its’ minion IMO, into the only solution to piracy problem – to a Convention or Regulation, which will legalize private armed security on board of the ships in any given “hot spot” of the world ocean. But shipping isn’t something united, and there are no leaders in shipping, capable of such an action. Take a look at those who’re supposedly, shipping leaders, and at their statements:

The European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) jointly denounce the attack on ‘MV BONITA’. Our absolute priority is the return of the nine crewmembers back to safety.

“We condemn unreservedly the boarding of the MV Bonita and the subsequent taking of nine crewmembers. These actions are in violation of international regulations, which protect ships and their crews as they go about their legitimate business. Seafarers across the world have the right to operate free from the fear of kidnap or capture,” said Guy Platten, ICS Secretary General.

“It is unacceptable that the pirates managed to capture nine crew members of the MV BONITA. Seafarers and vessels must be allowed to sail in complete safety and security,” added Martin Dorsman, ECSA Secretary General.

Pirates read and re-read those statements, trembling with fear, and shaking with deep remorse?
What a bunch of clowns.