Piracy is defined as “a war-like act committed by private parties, especially robbery or criminal violence on the sea.” Pirates have been around since the dawn of time! But in all honesty, they have been around since people have used oceans as a means of trade. The first known documented instances of piracy were that of the Sea People who exploited the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas in the 13th Century. The popular image of pirates, however, was that of European and American pirates during the classical period. They sported the “Jolly Rodger” flag, were rebels, and thought nothing of the bureaucracy that the bureaucrats lived in their lifestyles day by day. Famous pirates that you, the reader, may know of would be Blackbeard, Grace O’Malley, Calico Jack Rackham, Jack Sparrow, and Will Turner.
Piracy has become a modern-day issue, however. Nowadays, pirates are no longer “searchin’ for booty, argh.” Most pirate crews consist of three types of people: ex-fishermen, ex-militiamen, and technical experts. When the Siad Barre regime in Somalia collapsed, Somalia’s waters were left unprotected because of the lack of an official coast guard. This led to other countries illegally fishing and large companies dumping waste, leading to the erosion of the fish stock. Somali fishermen banded together to keep others out of their waters to save what little they had left. However, money is tempting, and because of the fairly easy access to illegal artillery, the ex-fishermen were able to take merchant ships hostage and ask for their respected countries to pay large amounts in ransom money. Men now join these pirates not because they wish to protect their fish stock, but because of the prospect of becoming rich.
