The UK is to devote an extra £6 million (US$9.7m) to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, which is thought to be costing the global economy around $12 billion a year, ifw-net reports.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said £5.3 million would be given to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime counter piracy programme to build regional capacity for piracy prosecutions and detentions in Somalia, Kenya and Seychelles.
And £600,000 will be provided to fund enhanced optical imagery equipment for the Seychelles Coastguard to allow surveillance aircraft to take high-quality video and photographs to aid the capture of pirates and provide valuable evidence in court cases.
Hague said: “There are currently around 820 Somali pirates either serving sentences or awaiting trial around the world. I am pleased that the UK’s new support to counter piracy efforts in the Indian Ocean will aid the location, capture and detention of pirates across the region.”
However, one London-based law firm that specialises in piracy said this week “matters were deteriorating at every level”.
Richard Neylon, a partner at Holman Fenwick Willan welcomed the extra funding but said: “The number of crew and vessels captured is increasing, size of ransom is increasing and the length of time of capture is increasing.”
HFW is one of the few London law firms that negotiate for the release of vessels.
On piracy trials, he asked: “Where do you attempt to try them? Do you fly them back to the UK? Or, say, take them to Kenya or the Seychelles, where there is a large number awaiting trial already? Often, they are let go. This is not a deterrent.
“The coalition naval forces are doing all they can with limited resources, but the marine industry is demanding action from the international community.”
Foreign Secretary William Hague said £5.3 million would be given to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime counter piracy programme to build regional capacity for piracy prosecutions and detentions in Somalia, Kenya and Seychelles.
And £600,000 will be provided to fund enhanced optical imagery equipment for the Seychelles Coastguard to allow surveillance aircraft to take high-quality video and photographs to aid the capture of pirates and provide valuable evidence in court cases.
Hague said: “There are currently around 820 Somali pirates either serving sentences or awaiting trial around the world. I am pleased that the UK’s new support to counter piracy efforts in the Indian Ocean will aid the location, capture and detention of pirates across the region.”
However, one London-based law firm that specialises in piracy said this week “matters were deteriorating at every level”.
Richard Neylon, a partner at Holman Fenwick Willan welcomed the extra funding but said: “The number of crew and vessels captured is increasing, size of ransom is increasing and the length of time of capture is increasing.”
HFW is one of the few London law firms that negotiate for the release of vessels.
On piracy trials, he asked: “Where do you attempt to try them? Do you fly them back to the UK? Or, say, take them to Kenya or the Seychelles, where there is a large number awaiting trial already? Often, they are let go. This is not a deterrent.
“The coalition naval forces are doing all they can with limited resources, but the marine industry is demanding action from the international community.”