Fighting off the Somali pirates
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The recent escalation in pirate attacks has highlighted the vulnerability of shipping off the coast of Somalia. Now many ships are taking their own precautions, using hi-tech equipment to keep pirates at bay.
A beefed-up international naval presence and United Nations resolutions giving foreign military vessels greater powers to chase the pirates have created little in the way of an effective deterrent.
But a consensus is emerging that ship-owners themselves could be doing more to prevent piracy.
So is there more in practical terms that ships' captains can do to fend off the pirates?
Wire and sound
Those who have witnessed attacks say the pirates tend to sneak up on one side of a ship.
They use grappling hooks and ladders to board it at the most vulnerable point - where there is least distance between the height of the deck and the water level.
Some vessels have strung barbed wire at those points, as recommended by the International Maritime Bureau in London. In some cases, say experts, this has proved effective.
Credits: Associated Press
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