The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) and the Oceans Beyond[ds_preview] Piracy project (OBP) have jointly conducted a survey of 66 Somali inmates accused of piracy, to find issues of relevance to counter-piracy activities. It found that long-term solutions may require addressing the economic basis for piracy.
For pirates who quit piracy, family and community pressures were very important and counter-piracy messaging encouraging this might be valuable. International naval presence was frequently reported as a concern or a significant contribution to deterring pirates. The same was true for armed guards a board vessels, although to a lesser degree than navies. This suggests that a significant draw-down in naval forces may reduce a deterrent factor potentially contributing to the reduction in piracy. The survey shows the need for a coordinated response rather than a one size fits all solution, OBP conludes.
