Somalian pirates must be met with full force

The navies of countries whose economies are being greatly affected by rampant piracy in the sealanes off the Somali coast must do better not only in making these sealanes safer but, more importantly, in sending the message across that piracy does not pay.

Unless these navies start making clear examples of what can happen to those who continue to defy their imposing presence, our fear is that copycat pirates may start springing their own surprises elsewhere.

So far, the navies of the world's great superpowers have been largely a failure. Not even the successful freeing of a captured American ship captain can start making those who transit the area breathe any easier.

That is because the sheer audacity of the pirates and the frequency of their attacks far surpass any telling effect the mere presence of naval firepower in the area. Shirtless pirates waving rifles armed with rocket grenades look more fearsome than navy ships.

If those with powerful navies cannot even protect their own merchant shipping and individual citizens on board these harassed ships, how much more for those countries that have not or have nothing to deploy there.

The Philippines, for instance, has no navy to send out. So what it does is merely issue a ban against the deployment of Filipino seamen on board ships that transit the very dangerous area.

The Philippines provides some 40 percent or nearly half of the world's 800,000 seafarers. Clearly it had a very high stake in ensuring the safety and security of Filipinos who might be in harm's way over the water.

But a ban is clearly ineffective and impractical. It is no way near solving the problem, and it is largely ineffective. Indeed on the same day the ban was announced, pirates struck again, this time against a Belgian ship whose crew included three Filipinos. The foreign navies must do more than just patrol the seas of Somalia or chase pirates whenever they strike. They must strike deep into Somalia itself by going after the lairs of these rascals.

An attack on any of these foreign-flagged ships should be considered an act of aggression that merits commensurate retaliatory action. Unless the fight is taken into the hearts of the pirates, they will continue to pester foreign shipping.

   Worse, unrestrained piracy being played out before the eyes of a largely hungry world is certain to one day inspire those who can stomach the risks in order to acquire the rich dividends.

There should be mounting fear right now that other pirates may start attacking foreign shipping in other parts of the world, for instance in the busy Strait of Malacca, which is no stranger to the phenomenon.

There had been times when piracy in the Malacca Strait caused some concerns, but these were largely sporadic and swiftly contained. That is because the pirates in the area were driven by goals less desperate than hunger.

In Somalia, it is hunger that is fuelling the piracy. To the pirates they have nothing to lose. That is why they are so dangerous and must be eliminated. If not, the inspiration they convey will start a new wave of piracy elsewhere.