Countering Piracy: Anti-Piracy Strategies and Global Trade on Somalia’s High-Risk Waters Between Years 2000 - 2020
Väätänen, Arttu (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120833724
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120833724
Tiivistelmä
This thesis examines the implications of the anti-piracy policies on maritime security and international trade within the Somali high-risk waters between 2000 and 2020. The thesis focuses on the question of whether the actions of the navy, merchant shipping security, and international cooperation have helped to reduce piracy and its economic impact on global shipping. It also assesses the economic impact of piracy in terms of ransom payments, high insurance and rerouting of ships.
The historical analysis of Somali piracy has been made with the help of case studies of the key anti-piracy operations and the analysis of security and economic reports. The techniques were useful in determining the process of piracy, countermeasures that were put in place and how effective they were in enhancing the safety of the sea.
The study show that by the end of the 2000s, the piracy in Somalia had become a highly structured criminal organization, posing severe security threats and causing significant economic damages to the global maritime community. However, with time, well-coordinated anti-piracy efforts had a significant effect of lowering the rate and success of pirate attacks. Big commercial ships were not being hijacked successfully anymore and the maritime routes were slowly becoming safer
The thesis concludes that a multi-layered system, comprising of naval patrols, private security, legal cooperation, and better onboard protection was very effective. The long-term stability, nevertheless, remains to be formed through augmenting the regional governance and working on the economy that facilitates piracy. In general, anti-piracy measures enhanced maritime security significantly and minimized the economic losses in the Somali high-risk waters.
The historical analysis of Somali piracy has been made with the help of case studies of the key anti-piracy operations and the analysis of security and economic reports. The techniques were useful in determining the process of piracy, countermeasures that were put in place and how effective they were in enhancing the safety of the sea.
The study show that by the end of the 2000s, the piracy in Somalia had become a highly structured criminal organization, posing severe security threats and causing significant economic damages to the global maritime community. However, with time, well-coordinated anti-piracy efforts had a significant effect of lowering the rate and success of pirate attacks. Big commercial ships were not being hijacked successfully anymore and the maritime routes were slowly becoming safer
The thesis concludes that a multi-layered system, comprising of naval patrols, private security, legal cooperation, and better onboard protection was very effective. The long-term stability, nevertheless, remains to be formed through augmenting the regional governance and working on the economy that facilitates piracy. In general, anti-piracy measures enhanced maritime security significantly and minimized the economic losses in the Somali high-risk waters.