It’s enough to give pirates a bad name.
Last week, not only did Somali thieves take the captain of a ship hostage — just another day on the high seas for them — but also, as it turns out, the ship was carrying donated food to Africa.
Somehow, I don’t think these particular pirates were looking for some canned goods. Instead, they were looking for a hostage to trade for ransom, plying what has become a profitable trade these days.
The Associated Press reported that Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the pirates who attacked the Maersk Alabama and took the captain, Richard Phillips, hostage, were between 17 and 19 years old.
The pirates, three of whom were killed, weren’t likely to have been freelancing. Instead, these young men were probably sent out by someone grown rich and powerful from piracy. It’s likely they had no choice, only orders. Piracy is big business at the present, with millions in ransom being paid by ship owners for hostages from a variety of countries.
Now the United States is pressing Somalia to root out the pirates menacing the seas off the Horn of Africa, the AP said, and Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said he could go after them if other nations give him needed resources.
Sharmarke told The Associated Press that his plan will be ready next week in time for an international conference on Somalia in Brussels. He added that his government is willing to share information that could boost the new U.S. initiative to freeze pirates’ assets and pursue the money trail of ransoms.
Businessmen and some politicians are said to be behind the pirates, people Sharmarke said his government has identified.
How much Somalia and its prime minister can do is debatable. Sharmarke’s government barely has control of a few square miles in the capital of Mogadishu, an area patrolled by African peacekeepers.
The plague of piracy has been around for centuries, and it’s not likely to end as long as it remains profitable. It also has been relatively risk-free for the pirates, until now.
Will the shootout involving the Maersk change how ships operate? Will it make pirates more likely to harm their hostages?
Only time will tell, but with Somalia filled with turmoil and hungry people, it will remain a prime jumping-off place for piracy, and a prime target for those determined to put a stop to it.
The reality of piracy is a long way from the swashbuckling tales told by Hollywood or torn-bodice novels.
Maybe it’s time to say a little prayer for “They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters.” (Psalm 107:23).
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Persinger is community editor for The Tribune. She may be reached at (812) 523-7063 or jpersinger @tribtown.com.

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