By IANS,
New Delhi : Maritime nations of Asia Friday want piracy eliminated from the Indian Ocean waters, even as it was projected that the cost of tackling Somali pirates ran into nearly $12 billion.
“Total eradication of piracy is a must and not just controlling it,” Sri Lankan Coast Guard Director General Rear Admiral Daya Dharmapriya said here at a seminar on piracy organised by newly-formed Oceans Beyond Piracy – India (OBP-I), a think tank.
An OBP-I study on costs incurred by businesses and nations due to piracy in the region said that in 2010 $7 to $12 billion was spent, including for payment of ransom, insurance premium, re-routing of cargo ships, security equipment, naval operations and cost to regional economies.
The OBP-I report said the projected costs on court cases to try the apprehended pirates and imprisoning them last year was over $31 million.
Pointing out that there were multiple inter-governmental organisations working to fight maritime piracy, the total money spent by all of them was estimated at $24.5 million.
“There is an international mafia which is operating and we must find out who is it,” Dharmapriya said.
Pressing for providing a more robust rules of engagement for the naval and coast guard ships fighting pirates in the Arabian sea, where piracy has seen an upward swing, he said: “A comprehensive air surveillance is needed for which the Indian Navy can play a major role.”
Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Maritime Cell head Rear Admiral (retired) Khurshed Alam slammed the International Maritime Board (IMB), which monitors piracy, for not giving out “the true picture” about his country.
He said Bangladesh was listed as a high-risk nation since 1982, even though there has been no incident of piracy close to its coast in recent years.
He said around 2,400 cargo ships called on ports in Bangladesh annually and there had been no major incident of piracy.
Maldives Deputy High Commissioner Khadeeja Ibrahim, in her address, said piracy was “a grave concern” in the Indian Ocean region.
“To tackle the escalation of piracy, there is need for more coordination among all countries of the region.”