Maritime Piracy

Patrick Moore
634847
Economic Impact of Maritime Piracy off the Horn of Africa: A Case Study during the Years 2000-2010 (working title)
Background:
Piracy has long been an issue of maritime trade, there is evidence that piracy has ruled the sea for over 3,000 years (Russell, 2013). Laws concerning piracy date all the way back to the Piracy Act of 1698. This was an Act passed by the English Parliament and essentially was to tackle the piracy problem that occurred in any of the territories under English rule. The law aimed to punish those who committed acts of piracy, could be tried outside of England. The punishments were severe and acts of piracy could even be punishable by death.
According to the United Nations, the definition of piracy

Article 102
Piracy by a warship, government ship or government aircraft whose crew has mutinied:
The acts of piracy, as defined in article 101, committed by a warship, government ship or government aircraft whose crew has mutinied and taken control of the ship or aircraft are assimilated to acts committed by a private ship or aircraft.
Article 103
Definition of a pirate ship or aircraft:
A ship or aircraft is considered a pirate ship or aircraft if it is intended by the persons in dominant control to be used for the purpose of committing one of the acts referred to in article 101. The same applies if the ship or aircraft has been used to commit any such act, so long as it remains under the control of the persons guilty of that act.
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are the lead organizations involved in in antipiracy undertakings. These two organizations have a key role defining piracy and setting the counter-piracy agenda. Both organizations have their own and separate definitions of piracy, and they work with one another to deal with the issue of piracy (McDaniel,

These experts were looking to assess the interdisciplinary overview of piracy (UNPOS, 2008). They found that piracy in Somalia is driven by social upheavals, environmental degradation, poverty, lack of employment, reduction of maritime resources due to drought and illegal fishing (UNPOS, 2008). Some of the pros of piracy include quick and large sums of money; while the risks are minimal. This can be shown by the fact that few arrests are made and the chances of death are also very low. The group of experts also found that pirates believe they are entitled to attack illegal fishing vessels working in their territorial waters, because they are decimating and pillaging the fisheries (UNPOS, 2008). In addition, the international community has known that illegal fishing has taken place in these waters for years due to the failed government of Somalia and its ability to govern its waters.

Theoretical Framework:
The research will be analyzed with the realist perspective in mind. Realism is connected to the “states”. It views the international system as a system of anarchy where states are the main unitary actors. Furthermore, the realist theory sees states as rational actors. This means that the state is treated as an entity that can have interests and goals and is able to act according to them. According to Waltz structures in an anarchical international