Cruise boaters concerned by attacks on vessels in South Pacific

Updated October 14, 2008 12:15:03

There is growing concern among the cruise boating community over pirate attacks and robberies on their vessels in the South Pacific. Although the situation is not critical by international standards, there has been an increase in incidents in recent years.

Helene Hofman
Speakers: Research fellow at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, Dr Sam Bateman; Professor of political science at the National Defence College of the Phillipines, Rommel C. Banlaoi; crusing sailor and author of "A Passion for the Sea", Jimmy Cornell.

HOFMAN: The South Pacific has traditionally been considered a safe haven for cruising boats. However, in recent years a number of incidents have been reported in the area. A small number of these are pirate attacks, where one vessel hijacks another in high seas or coastal waters, while the majority are robberies or armed robberies.

Usually the victims are cargo ships or fishing boats, but increasingly members of the yachting community have been targeted. Research fellow at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, Dr Sam Bateman, says that although the number of incidents is small by international standards, it is still an issue in certain parts of the South Pacific.

BATEMAN: Well there have been few attacks over the years, and these attacks get reported to an organisation called the International Maritime Bureau, which has a piracy reporting centre located in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and it collects data on attacks from around the world.

Looking back over the last few years there's been a number of attacks on cruising yachts in remote anchorages in Papua New Guinea and also the Solomon Islands, and also there have been some sneak attacks on fishing boats and fish carrying vessels anchored off Honiara in the Solomons. These have been very isolated attacks, and the overall number in the Pacific Islands is very, very small compared with the worldwide total of attacks.

HOFMAN: The majority of attacks on boats take place in the waters off Nigeria and Somalia, and in South Asia. To date the piracy attacks and sea robberies in the South Pacific have been comparatively less violent. However, in Solomon Islands a number of sneak attacks on fishing boats near Honiara have resulted in casualties.

Professor of political science at the National Defence College of the Philippines, Rommel C. Banlaoi, has done extensive research into maritime security in South Asia. He says there are a number of things that can fuel pirate activity and robberies at sea.

BANLAOI: Piracy really operates in an area where there is one porous border, second, inadequate law enforcement agencies, and third is low economic development. These are all the major causes of piracy. But if there is strict law enforcement activities then pirates will go elsewhere.

HOFMAN: Members of the yachting community are concerned that the attacks on their vessels could intensify. Noonsite.com, a popular website for cruising sailors, has been keeping track of attacks on cruising boats for the last ten years.

According to the website's creator and the author of "A Passion for the Sea", Jimmy Cornell, they have seen a significant increase in attacks on yachts worldwide. Last year there were 10 incidents, while in the first 9 months of this year alone they have received 21 reports. Of these, a number occurred near Papua New Guinea and one near Vanuatu.

Mr Cornell says the South Pacific is no longer as safe as it once was.

CORNELL: I've been three times around the world and every time I spend a long time in the South Pacific and there was never any serious problem. The situation has deteriorated in recent years. But again I wouldn't describe them as piracy attacks, but robberies on cruising boats, especially in Papua New Guinea and one report from Vanuatu. As far as I know there have been no attacks on French Polynesia or New Caledonia and so on.

HOFMAN: Although the situation is currently under control, Dr Bateman warns that a breakdown in law and order on land in any of the Pacific countries could result in an increase in attacks and piracy at sea. In the meantime, he says cruising sailors should take certain precautions.

BATEMAN: I think if I was sailing in the South Pacific I would be extra careful where I chose to anchor at night. I'd be aware of the potential risk of the sneak attack business, and of course the importance of looking after your valuables, not having a lot of valuables onboard because the type of attack, without trying to sound too complacent about it, the type of attack that's likely to occur in the Pacific on a cruising yacht is not going to be one that's going to be threatening life. They'll just want to rob you for what valuables you might have.