Safety on the High Seas Discussion Chapter

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M2d1: Pirates

Pirates off the coasts of Africa and Southeast Asia have put forth the argument that they are merely defending their coastlines from international shipping polluting their coastlines and violating their fishing rights. What do you think of this argument?

Piracy has a negative effect, not simply for the persons suffering from the attack, but also for the residents living in the areas from which the piracy springs. Piracy causes substantial economic losses for the populations in regions where piracy is a way of life. For example, "unlike pirates along Somalia's coast, who are often only after ransom, pirates in West Africa also steal goods, particularly oil. Many attacks end up with crew members injured or killed. But pirate attacks do not only result in killings and injuries, tragic as those are; they also damage the economy. In some cases, affected countries in West Africa have become less concerned with direct losses from piracy than with the ways in which these losses affect international insurance rates and other trade-related costs" (Ari 2013). Regardless of what one thinks about the alleged 'justice' of piracy, the act has a clear, material impact upon the economy of the nation and also causes the world community to hesitate to engage in normal economic relations with the 'home' nation. Even if not all acts of alleged piracy as unjustified, enough have caused violence to cause the states from where they originate to be called 'rogue states,' resulting in the similar national ostracism as is caused by states which are associated with terrorism.

Although piracy is going down overall in Southeast Asia, some nations such as Indonesia continue to struggle with containing it. "On the lighter end of the spectrum are the sea-faring hooligans who conduct sloppy attacks on heavily trafficked coastal waters...On the other end of the spectrum, there is the more sophisticated and more troubling brand of piracy perpetrated by large-scale, well-coordinated global crime organizations. In these kinds of attacks, cargo worth millions of dollars is routinely stolen, as in the case of the Petro Ranger, an oil tanker that was robbed of $3 million worth of fuel en route from Singapore to Vietnam" (DeHart 2013). As these nations strive to gain legitimacy in the world community as sources of economic power, the constant threat of piracy will inevitably curtail their aspirations if left unchecked. This must be accomplished by law enforcement authorities, as crews have little recourse to defend themselves: "While official response may be helping, there is still little that the men on the ships can do in the event of an attack. In fact, crew members are expressly trained to simply meet pirates' demands without a fight. Many captains forbid their crew from keeping weapons on board, as they have found that the pirates usually have them outgunned" (De Hart 2013).

Ultimately, if there are problems with international shipping and fishing rights violations, these should be handled by recognized international bodies, not by renegade means.

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Piracy is never justifiable and most examples of piracy are clearly designed to enrich the perpetrators, not avenge injustice.

References

Ari, B. (2013). Piracy in West Africa. African Renewal. Retrieved from:

http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/december-2013/piracy-west-africa#sthash.7cjYcbn5.dpuf

DeHart, J. (2013). Pirates of the Southeast Asian seas. The Diplomat. Retrieved from:

http://thediplomat.com/2013/07/pirates-of-the-southeast-asian-seas/

M2D2: DECOMISSIONING

Why are ships decommissioned? Where and how is this carried out? What are the environmental hazards of decommissioning?

When a ship has ended its useful life to the service of a navy, it goes through a process of decommissioning, or the process of removing it from active use. It is costly to maintain an active ship and so the U.S. Navy must make choices about which vehicles are high-priority and which are not. "Each year, the Office of Chief of Naval Operations conducts a Ship Disposition Review conference to determine which vessels will be decommissioned from active service and either retained for potential reactivation or stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and designated for disposal" (Ship inactivation, 2014, Navy).

Decommissioning is a lengthy process and involves the retaining of most installed equipment and repair parts as well as most mechanical and electrical devices (Ship inactivation, 2014, Navy). It also involves installing dehumidifies to protect he ship and the "removal and storage of external topside equipment (e.g., antennas and directors) in the hanger bay under dehumidification" (Ship inactivation, 2014, Navy). "All machinery, boilers, turbines, piping systems, electrical systems, electronic equipment, weapons systems, and hull structure and fittings will be placed in a state of preservation" while smoke stack closures are installed along with propeller shaft and locking devices (Ship inactivation, 2014, Navy). Then, the Navy will "pump and drain all petroleum systems," install "clean and gas-free Aviation Gas tanks and systems;" "clean and preserve JP 5 and diesel oil tanks;" "remove water and sludge from tanks and bilges;" and "repair watertight doors and hatches" (Ship inactivation, 2014, Navy). Ensuring that the drained petroleum and other waste products from the decommissioned shift are disposed of in an environmentally-friendly way is essential (Ship inactivation, 2014, Navy). Also, if a ship is to be totally disassembled, the materials must be recycled or preferably reused to ensure the process takes place in a sustainable fashion.

Another critical reason for decommissioning besides the financial component is the concern that the ship may be stolen and used for nefarious purposes if it is not properly secured when not in use. Conversely, a still-workable craft should also be easily be able to be re-commissioned or put back into action if the need presented itself, based upon a change in world affairs. The Navy must keep track of all ships in its possession, regardless of whether they are in use. Finally, some ships may be of historical importance and are preserved to memorialize them......

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