Chasing West Africa’s Pirates

Risk Intelligence Director of Maritime Security, Mr. Dirk Steffen, contributed and advised Ms. Mary Harper, on behalf of BBC World Service, in the production of the documentary “Chasing West Africa’s Pirates”. While piracy in Somalia have taken a plunge in recent years, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea have extended its reach and become increasingly deadly. Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has now been termed one of the world’s worst, and most violent, piracy hot spot by the International Maritime Bureau and the documentary tells the story of seafarers’ being caught up in violent piracy attacks and former militants committing acts of piracy. The lack of governmental resources in preventing piracy in Nigeria have caused a surge in governmentally employed private security companies in the region – a lucrative market that is not without its quandaries. The documentary concludes by examining the economic cost of piracy, both to communities depending on maritime trade and to the maritime industry itself and Ms. Harper concludes that “all of us are paying the price [of piracy] but the highest price of all is paid by the seafarers.” The one hour BBC radio documentary Chasing West Africa’s Pirates was broadcasted 15-16 November on the BBC World Service.