The Threat of Modern Piracy- A Merged Thread

[CougarKing]

Pirates vs. Western naval personnel in at least 4 shootouts. Plus "a new offensive mindset".

Associated Press link

NAIROBI, Kenya – Signaling a new offensive mindset, international military officials vowed Friday to fight the pirates as swarms of Somalis moved into the waters off East Africa. Four shootouts with pirates showed that high-seas attacks are intensifying with the end of the monsoon season.

Nearly half the 47 ships hijacked off Somalia last year were taken in March and April — the most dangerous months of the year for ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

In the most serious skirmish Friday, six pirates attacked a vessel before breaking off and chasing the French fishing boat Torre Giulia, said Cmdr. John Harbour, spokesman for the EU Naval Force.

A French military detachment onboard a nearby ship fired warning shots at the pirates. The ship then approached the skiff and collided with it, sinking the skiff and throwing the pirates into the water. Four were rescued, but two others were missing, Harbour said.
A spike in attacks is likely in the coming weeks, said Harbour. This season, though, ship owners and sailors are more prepared to evade pirates, fight back, or they have armed security onboard, raising the likelihood of violence.



(...)

 

[Yrys]

France seizes 35 Somali 'pirates'

The French navy has captured 35 piracy suspects off Somalia's coast - hailing it as
the most successful mission since EU operations began in 2008. French officials said
four mother ships and six smaller boats had been seized in four operations since last Friday.

EU forces used helicopters and fired warning shots to capture the pirates, France's
defence ministry said. The EU launched its anti-piracy mission in December 2008, but
the pirates have since attacked ships in a wider area. The EU's mission has focused
on the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes which was being
ravaged by pirates.  But recently, the attackers have struck hundreds of miles further
south - near the Seychelles and even as far afield as Madagascar.

Legal problems

The defence ministry said the frigate Nivose was backed by an Italian vessel and
Spanish aircraft during its three-day mission.  The ministry did not specify where the
action took place, but said 22 suspected pirates were held on Friday, two on Saturday
and 11 more on Sunday. It is not yet clear what France intends to do with the suspects.

More than 100 Somalis accused of piracy have been sent to Kenya, but very few have
been convicted and most are languishing in jail awaiting trial in the country's
overburdened legal system.  A handful have been sent for trial in France, the
Netherlands and the US. But jurisdiction over suspected pirates seized on the high
seas remains unclear and calls for an international tribunal to be set up have so far
come to nothing.

Lawlessness in Somalia allows the pirates to function with relative impunity in their
own country - and many pirate leaders have reportedly amassed fortunes through
ransoms paid by shipping firms.  War-ravaged Somalia has had no functioning central
government since 1991.

 

[MARS]

Some more developments on the anti-piracy front:
Article Link

Sweden continues engagement in anti-piracy mission off Somalia

STOCKHOLM, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Sweden's government said on Thursday it would continue to support the European Union's anti-piracy mission off Somalia this year.

Sweden would send a warship and a helicopter, 175 officers and soldiers in total, to take part in the EU's mission, code-named Operation Atalanta, the government said in a statement.

Sweden's participation in the mission would begin in mid April and last for a maximum of six months, the statement said.

During the first four months from April to August, Sweden would have command responsibility for Atalanta, especially for Carlskona, it said.

Sweden contributed three naval vessels to the mission from May 15 to September 15 last year.

The EU formally launched its anti-piracy mission off the Somalia coast at the end of 2008, the first expeditionary naval operation of the 27-nation bloc.

Article Link

Fleet nears Somalia
(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-08 09:55

The Chinese naval fleet sailed into the Strait of Malacca on Sunday, three days after its departure from China's island province of Hainan on an escort mission against piracy off Somalia.

The fleet deployed its first anti-pirate operation on Saturday night and arrived at the Strait of Malacca the next morning. It is expected to reach the Indian Ocean on Tuesday.

This is the fifth flotilla of Chinese ships sent on an overseas peacekeeping mission.

It contains naval ships, helicopters and about 800 navy personnel.

The naval forces will be on escort duties in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. They will be stationed there for four months.

Besides peacekeeping duties, the Chinese navy will also conduct humanitarian rescue operations and exchanges with foreign navies.

These are both good developments, regardless of the challenges of integration that lie ahead.

 

[MARS]

Article Link

NATO extends anti-piracy operation off Somalia until end 2012

NATO has extended the mandate of its anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia until the end of 2012, the alliance's spokesman James Appathurai has said.
Appathurai told reporters on Wednesday the decision was based on "the assessment that this mission is making demonstrable contribution to increased safety for shipping and reduced success rates for pirates."
Somali pirates carried out a record number of attacks and hijackings in 2009. According to the Piracy Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau, a total of 217 vessels were attacked and 47 of them hijacked last year.
In 2008, pirates staged 111 attacks off the Somali coast, seizing 42 ships.
About 20 countries, including leading NATO member states, India, China and several Arab states, have sent warships to the Gulf of Aden.
Russian warships joined the fight against Somali pirates in the fall of 2008, when the Neustrashimy frigate was sent to the Somali coast from the Baltic Sea.
In late February, Russia's Pacific Fleet dispatched a group of vessels led by the large anti-submarine warship Marshal Shaposhnikov to replace the Neustrashimy frigate off the Somali coast

More good news - HDMS ABSALON, noted in a few posts above, is part of the NATO Task Force

 

[MARS]

Kenya imprisons seven Somalis for piracy
By Celestine Achieng
Reuters
Wednesday, March 10, 2010; 2:38 PM
MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - A Kenyan court sentenced seven Somalis to 20 years in prison for piracy on Wednesday after they tried to attack a Danish cargo vessel.

British Royal Navy forces arrested the men in 2008 after they attempted to seize MV Powerful off the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Two pirates died in an ensuing fight.

They were then handed over to Kenyan authorities and charged with piracy.

"Having considered the seriousness ... of the offence, and circumstances under which the suspects were arrested, only stiff penalties can deter such activities," Senior Principal Magistrate Lilian Mutende said, delivering her judgment.

Pirates have caused havoc in the Gulf of Aden, raking in millions of dollars in ransoms, hiking insurance premiums on shipping and threatening humanitarian supplies.



Kenya is holding over 100 suspected pirates, and police say this is clogging jails and courts. Local Muslim leaders say Kenya should not be used as a dumping ground and foreign navies should take charge of the people they arrest.

International navies trying to counter piracy off Somalia are often reluctant to take suspects to their own countries because they either lack the jurisdiction to put them on trial there, or they fear the pirates may seek asylum.

The European Union, United States and some other countries have instead struck agreements with Kenya to hand over suspects to face trial there. Some pirates are being prosecuted in France and the Netherlands.

This is exceptionally good news given that the last sentence handed out by Kenya was only for 7 years

 

[MARS]

Article Link

Emphasis added

Piracy costs shipping firms over $100m annually, says report
Posted by SeafarerMarch 8, 2010

pircay
Piracy off the coast of Somalia is costing the international shipping industry at least $100 million a year, a new report states. Aside from payments in ransom - estimated at about $110 million over the past two years - there have also been increased transportation and insurance costs, as well as costs related to protecting ships.
The report from the World Peace Foundation noted that piracy was now “big business” with an estimated 1,500 buccaneers off the coast of Somalia involved in seven syndicates.
The business is co-ordinated by a few bosses operating mainly from Kenya, Dubai and Lebanon.
The report predicts that acts of piracy will escalate unless urgent action is taken. It proposes, for instance, providing pirates with economic incentives.

Shipping union officials in the West have also urged ship owners to ensure their vessels travel in convoys under naval protection - particularly in the Gulf of Aden - where the vast majority of attacks occur on solitary vessels.
A senior Nautilus official said merchant ships that abided by the naval task force recommendations to travel as group transits, remained safe.
“The problem is, some ship owners aren’t prepared to wait for the task force. They are running behind schedule and are prepared to take the risk,” he said.

Arranging a convoy for multiple, disparate shipping companies is a lot harder than it may appear initially.  From a tactical point of view, it is quite sensible.  However, $100M is not a whole lot of money when spread over several companies - rather, their insurance companies.  And we cannot force companies to convoy.

 

[MARS]

more at Link

Africom commander says U.S. supports Somali government to retake Mogadishu

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A senior U.S. military commander said on Tuesday the United States would support the Somali transitional government to retake the national capital Mogadishu.

William Ward, who runs the U.S. Africa Command, told a Senate hearing the Somali government's effort in retaking Mogadishu is " something that we would look to do in support."

He said the military would do this "to the degree the transitional federal government can in fact re-exert control over Mogadishu, with the help of AMISOM and others." AMISOM stands for the African Union Mission in Somalia.

Mogadishu witnesses near daily attacks on Somali government forces and African Union peacekeepers based there. The internationally recognized government of Somalia is struggling to fight off an Islamist insurgency poised to run over parts of the city with protection from a few thousand African Union peacekeepers.

Clashes have intensified recently in Mogadishu, with the office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) saying last week nearly 26,000 people have been forced to escape violence in the capital since Feb. 1.

The New York Times reported on Friday the United States is helping the Horn of Africa nation's government put together a major offensive to take back the capital, providing training and support. The broadsheet also cited unnamed U.S. officials as saying Pentagon may send special forces to help, as well as striking militants from the sky.

More at Link

Somali gov't to wage Mogadishu offensive "with U.S. help in weeks": officer

MOGADISHU, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government will begin within weeks the much anticipated major onslaught to retake the Somali capital Mogadishu from Islamist groups with help from the U. S. military, a Somali military officer said Wednesday.

Although Somali government officials have either been evading the whole question of whether the United States will get involved in the much speculated offensive or been noncommittal in their answers, some within the government military seeking anonymity, said the plan is in the final stages.

"It could be in weeks because we have been planning for this (offensive) for sometime and we have been coordinating with the United States because without their help this may not be a success, " a senior Somali military commander told Xinhua in Mogadishu,

The commander in the Somali capital Mogadishu added that Somali government forces would, as he put it, take the lion's share in its drive to reclaim the restive capital once the offensive gets underway.

The U.S. military and the 5,000 African Union peacekeepers will back the thousands of newly trained soldiers of the Somali government to wrestle the important and largest city which has remained the seat of government for the Somali State for 50 years.

Many analysts here believed that any side which manages to control the whole of Mogadishu is in essence in control of the whole country as the city has been and still is the area which generates most of the political and economic activities in the whole of war-ravaged country.

"It is make or break for both the Somali government which controls only part of this important city and for rebels who claim to control most of the south and centre of Somalia for control of Mogadishu ," said Ali Mohamed, an analyst in Mogadishu .

A senior U.S. military commander said on Tuesday the United States would support the Somali transitional government to retake the national capital Mogadishu .

Article Link

Thirty die in renewed Mogadishu fighting

MOGADISHU, March 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 people were killed and almost 83 others were wounded Thursday as the fierce fighting continues between Somali government forces backed by African Union (AU) peacekeeping troops and Islamist insurgent fighters in Mogadishu, medical sources said.

The fighting which erupted on Wednesday resumed in the early hours of Thursday morning after it briefly stopped overnight with both sides claiming successes.

"As many as 30 people were killed, 12 of them in one area in the north of Mogadishu while we have picked almost 83 wounded people including 35 children mainly in the northern districts of Mogadishu," Ali Muse, head of local ambulance service told Xinhua.

Heavy artillery and intense gunfire was heard around the battle areas in the north of Mogadishu where witnesses said several shells landed in residential neighborhoods.

Families in residential pockets in the north began fleeing their homes to join hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians on the outskirts of coastal Indian Ocean city of Mogadishu.

Somali government military commanders as well as insurgent fighters have claimed to have achieved ground from the other side but that cannot be independently verified as the battle still rages in north Mogadishu.

The latest upsurge in fighting comes as speculation intensifies of a major government offensive to retake the capital from rebels who control more than half of the restive coastal city.

Somali government controls only parts of the capital Mogadishu while Islamist groups rein over large swathes of territory in the south and centre of war-ravaged horn of African nation.

The U.S. pledged to support Somali government plans to wrestle control of Mogadishu from Islamists who are poised to oust the weak but internationally recognized government of Somalia

I obviously agree with earlier posters that piracy will not be eradicated at sea alone.  Perhaps this is a first step in actually solving the issue, although it will take years (generations?) to rebuild any semblance of an economy - or something to dissuade the those who would otherwise engage in piracy.

 

[The Bread Guy]

This, from an EU NAVFOR Somalia news release:

theresa viiiThe MV Theresa VIII, a Virgin Islands owned, Kiribati Flagged, chemical tanker with a crew of 28 and deadweight of 22, 294 tonnes,  has been released by pirates on 16 March 2010. Hijacked in the Somali Basin, 180 MILES North West of the Seychelles, on 17 November 2009, she has been held in the pirate stronghold of Haradera, on the Somali coast. 

An unknown ransom was exchanged on the morning of 16 March and the ship is now underway and heading out to sea. No immediate assistance has been requested but EU NAVFOR will continue to monitor the situation.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EUNAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

More from the BBC, Associated Press, AFP and DPA (German wire service)

 

[CougarKing]

These pirates never learn. This has got to be the third or fourth time they've attacked a European warship, mistaking it for a merchant ship.

Associated Press link

NAIROBI, Kenya – These Somali pirates picked the wrong ship to hijack.

Troops aboard the Dutch warship HNLMS Tromp fired warning shots Wednesday off the coast of East Africa as suspected Somali pirates in two small skiffs raced toward their warship, the EU Naval Force said.

After the pirates realized they had made what spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour called a "rather silly mistake," they turned around and fled. EU Naval Force personnel tracked down the two skiffs and a third suspected mothership, finding ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades on board, said Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force.
The two skiffs were destroyed and the pirates were set free on the mothership after it had been cleared of weapons.
(...)

The EU Naval Force has disrupted 11 pirate attack groups off the coast of East Africa over the last two weeks as part of a more offensive mindset to stop pirate attacks, Harbour said.

(...)

 

[MARS]

These pirates never learn. This has got to be the third or fourth time they've attacked a European warship, mistaking it for a merchant ship.

There is some imagery of this, including video, apprently, at the NL Ministry of Defence website

 

[CountDC]

maybe they should have left them with one skiff and sank the mother ship.  Wouldn't that have more of an impact?

 

[The Bread Guy]

This, from Reuters wire service:

The U.S. government has warned ships sailing off Yemen's coast of the risk of al Qaeda attacks similar to a suicide bombing of the U.S. warship Cole in 2000 that killed 17 U.S. sailors.

The U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence said on its website that ships in the Red Sea, the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait between Yemen and Djibouti, and the Gulf of Aden along Yemen's coast were at the greatest risk.

"Information suggests that al Qaeda remains interested in maritime attacks in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden along the coast of Yemen," the office said in a statement, citing an advisory by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"Although it is unclear how they would proceed, it may be similar in nature to the attacks against the USS Cole in October 2000 and the M/V Limburg in October 2002 where a small to mid-size boat laden with explosives was detonated," it added.

Yemen, at the forefront of Western security concerns since a failed December attack on a U.S.-bound plane, boosted security on its coast earlier this year to prevent militants reaching its shores from nearby Somalia to reinforce al Qaeda in Yemen ....

Advisory mentioned in story attached - more at the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence web page here.

 

[MARS]

maybe they should have left them with one skiff and sank the mother ship.  Wouldn't that have more of an impact?

It would, for sure.  The only problem is that CMF all of the Task Forces (CMF/NATO/EU) have to ensure that the pirates have at aleast half a chance of making it safely back to shore.  Depending on the number of pirates involved and the distance from shore, often a skiff is too small and too overcrowded to make it back.

Edited for clarity - to include NATO and EU-led CTFs

 

[GAP]

It would, for sure.  The only problem is that CMF all of the Task Forces (CMF/NATO/EU) have to ensure that the pirates have at aleast half a chance of making it safely back to shore.  Depending on the number of pirates involved and the distance from shore, often a skiff is too small and too overcrowded to make it back.

Couldn't you chum the waters?  ;D

 

[CountDC]

It would, for sure.  The only problem is that CMF all of the Task Forces (CMF/NATO/EU) have to ensure that the pirates have at aleast half a chance of making it safely back to shore.  Depending on the number of pirates involved and the distance from shore, often a skiff is too small and too overcrowded to make it back.

Edited for clarity - to include NATO and EU-led CTFs

Sounds good to me - let them fight it out amongst themselves who gets to go and who trys to swim.  Those left can run it for shore until the gas runs out then start rowing with their hands.  if they don't make it oh well.  A few less pirates to deal with.

 

[MARS]

;D

You will get no arguement form me or any of the other operators over here.  Unfortunately, POLAD/LEGAD and PAO are strangely adverse to that idea.

It is too bad we can't do this kind of thing anymore, you know, pour encourager les autres

 

[The Bread Guy]

1)  Hired Guns 1, Pirates 0 - this, from the Associated Press:

Private security guards shot and killed a Somali pirate during an attack on a merchant ship off the coast of East Africa in what is believed to be the first such killing by armed contractors, the EU Naval Force spokesman said Wednesday.

The death comes amid fears that increasingly aggressive pirates and the growing use of armed private security contractors onboard vessels could fuel increased violence on the high seas. The handling of the case may have legal implications beyond the individuals involved in Tuesday's shooting.

"This will be scrutinized very closely," said Arvinder Sambei, a legal consultant for the U.N.'s anti-piracy program. "There's always been concern about these (private security) companies. Who are they responsible to?"

The guards were onboard the MV Almezaan when a pirate group approached it twice, said EU Naval Force spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour. During the second approach on the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship, which is United Arab Emirates owned, there was an exchange of fire between the guards and the pirates.

An EU Naval Force frigate was dispatched to the scene and launched a helicopter that located the pirates. Seven pirates were found, including one who had died from small caliber gunshot wounds, indicating he had been shot by the contractors, said Harbour.

A statement by the Spanish Ministry of Defense said the warship Navarra had intercepted two skiffs and a larger vessel believed to be a pirate mothership. Spanish forces arrested the six remaining pirates, took custody of the pirate's body and sunk the larger boat, it said ....

2)  Happy First Birthday Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2)! (.pdf statement attached)

Today marks the first anniversary of NATO ships in the Gulf of Aden to fight piracy. Five NATO ships arrived in the Gulf of Aden on 24th March 2009 as part of NATO’s counter piracy mission, Operation Allied Protector. Their aim was to disrupt and deter the piracy that was rife in the Gulf of Aden at that time. A year later our ships are still there but with an enhanced operational aim and with notable successes achieved.
Rear Admiral Hank Ort, (NLD N) Chief of Staff at Northwood said;
“This last year has been a busy one for NATO ships in the region. We have, together with our maritime partners, actively disrupted and prevented pirate attacks on innocent vessels.. Since the NATO mission began, there has been a significant drop in successful piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden. Whilst I am pleased with what we have achieved, we cannot be complacent and must remain vigilant.”
90% of global trade by volume is carried by sea with 50% of the world’s containers passing through the Indian Ocean. The Gulf of Aden sees over 22 000 ships per year transiting through on their way to countries all over the globe making it an important route for trade.
In March 2009, NATO’s Standing Maritime Group arrived in the Gulf of Aden to conduct a counter piracy mission, Operation Allied Protector. Earlier this month, NATO nations agreed to extend Operation Ocean Shield until the end of 2012 .... The NATO Task Force 508 conducting Operation Ocean Shield is one out of three coalition task forces operating in the fight against piracy. TF 508 consists presently of five ships: 
HMS CHATHAM (Flagship - Royal Navy)
USS COLE (US Navy)
TCG GELIBOLU (Turkish Navy)
HS LIMNOS (Greek Navy)
ITS SCIROCCO (Italian Navy) ....

 

[The Bread Guy]

...excerpted from a recent UN report from the Monitoring Group and the Panel of Experts of Somalia:

A basic piracy operation requires a minimum eight to twelve militia prepared to stay at sea for extended periods of time, in the hopes of hijacking a passing vessel. Each team requires a minimum of two attack skiffs, weapons, equipment, provisions, fuel and preferably a supply boat. The costs of the operation are usually borne by investors, some of whom may also be pirates.

To be eligible for employment as a pirate, a volunteer should already possess a firearm for use in the operation. For this ‘contribution’, he receives a ‘class A’ share of any profit. Pirates who provide a skiff or a heavier firearm, like an RPG or a general purpose machine gun, may be entitled to an additional A-share. The first pirate to board a vessel may also be entitled to an extra A-share.

At least 12 other volunteers are recruited as militiamen to provide protection on land of a ship is hijacked, In addition, each member of the pirate team may bring a partner or relative to be part of this land-based force. Militiamen must possess their own weapon, and receive a ‘class B’ share — usually a fixed amount equivalent to approximately US$15,000 ....

More in the attached annex from the report (PM me if you're interested in the entire -110 page - report).

(Hat tip to the Lawyers Guns & Money blog for spotting this first.)

 

[MARS]

From France 24

30 March 2010 - 11H21 

Seychelles coastguard destroys two pirate boats

AFP - A Seychelles coastguard vessel on Tuesday repelled an attack by Somali pirates, destroying two of their boats, hours after rescuing 27 fishermen in the Indian Ocean, it said in a statement.

The Topaz, one of the Indian Ocean state's two coastguard vessels, came under attack from three Somali pirate skiffs overnight, said a statement by the coastguard's commanding officer.

"Topaz returned fire, one attack skiff was sunk and the mother ship exploded and caught fire. The third skiff managed to escape," the statement said.

"The fate of the pirates on all three vessels is unknown," it added.

The Topaz on Monday launched a rare and brazen operation to free six Seychellois fishermen who had been captured by Somali pirates over the weekend southeast of the archipelago's main island of Mahe.

When the Topaz caught up with the pirates, it found the ransom-hunting bandits heading back towards their base in Somalia with 21 Iranian fishermen also held hostage.

Despite seeing the 27 hostages being held at gunpoint on the deck of the hijacked Iranian dhow, the Seychelles authorities took the decision to attack the pirates after warning shots proved unsuccessful.

The Topaz unleashed a deluge of bullets into the Iranian boat's engine compartment, setting it on fire and forcing all on board to jump into the ocean.

More at the link

 

[MARS]

Unfortunate, but understandable

From Capital News

Kenya declines to accept pirates
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 26 - Kenya has declined to receive three suspected Somali pirates and one corpse held by an Italian warship at the port of Mombasa, arguing that its prison and court systems were overwhelmed.

Police on Friday said a decision had been reached within government ranks to ensure “no more piracy suspects will be tried in the country because it is already overwhelmed with ongoing cases.”

Coast Provincial Police Chief Leo Nyongesa told journalists that “the government has imposed a temporary ban on pirates being brought into the country.”

"Our hands are tied since we have many pirates on trial in Kenya and we cannot accept more at the moment,” Mr Nyongesa told a press conference in his office.

It was is the first time that Kenya - which is one of only two States to have an agreement with Western naval powers for the transfer of suspected pirates - declined to accept the buccaneers.

The three suspected pirates and the dead man arrived in the country late on Thursday aboard an Italian Naval Warship MV Scirocco which docked at the Port of Mombasa.

The Italian frigate Scirocco had interdicted the suspected pirates in high seas and proceeded to sail to Mombasa.

The warship has not been allowed to offload and has been kept waiting since Thursday as authorities engaged in high-level consultations.

"This is a government directive and there is no way we shall bend it to allow the suspected pirates on our soil as for now," the Coast Police chief said.

But even as he spoke, reports indicated that talks were underway in Nairobi and there was a possibility of the pirates being allowed into the country.


More at the link

As I previously mentioned here, these countries simply don't have capacity to handle the throughput.  And of course, the ship cannot enter any port until someone takes their pirates.