The Collapse of Venezuela & the New Pirates of the Caribbean

The southern Caribbean has seen a significant increase in piracy of late, at least partially related to the economic and political turmoil in nearby Venezuela. Commerical ships, local fishermen and visiting yachts have all fallen prey to attacks from pirates. Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), a … Continue reading

Video Piracy and the Pirate Ship Queen Anne’s Revenge

A video producer who produced video of the excavation of a pirate ship is now suing the State of North Carolina and others for piracy. Nautilus Productions, which served as a videographer for the Queen Anne’s Revenge shipwreck project, is charging … Continue reading

Piracy, Packet Ships and the Erie Canal — Why New York is the Center of US Publishing

This week, Book Expo America and Book-Con, collectively among of the largest book publishing events in the world, are being held in New York City, on the Hudson River in the Javit’s Center. (My novel, The Shantyman, is one of seemingly countless books … Continue reading

Russia to Charge Greenpeace Activists with Piracy

For thirty years, Greenpeace has used “non-violent direct action” in their environmental protests.  In recent years, Greenpeace activists have boarded drilling platforms to disrupt operations. In most cases, the protesters involved were arrested, made to pay fines for trespass and were … Continue reading

US Court: Sea Shepherds are “the Very Embodiment of Piracy”

Late Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the anti-whaling extremists and reality TV show stars, the Sea Shepherds, are indeed pirates.  In his ruling, Judge Alex Kozinski wrote: ” When you ram ships, hurl glass containers of acid, drag … Continue reading

Update: Tanker Mattheos I and Crew Released Without Ransom – Why the Gulf Of Guinea is Not Somalia

Just over a week ago we posted about the hijacking of the product tanker 45,000 DWT tanker,  Mattheos I, with a crew of 23, off Benin in the Gulf of Guinea.  Last Saturday, the ship and crew was released. No ransom … Continue reading

On World Maritime Day: Year of the Seafarer – Demands for Action to End Piracy

Every year the International Maritime Organization (IMO) observes World Maritime Day during the last week of September. The IMO headquarters is celebrating today, Thursday, September 24th, though in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Vancouver, Canada, they will be celebrating the event on … Continue reading

Piracy and Maritime Crime: Historical and Modern Case Studies

The US Naval War College has published a collection of essays on Piracy and Maritime Crime: Historical and Modern Case Studies, edited by Bruce A. Elleman, Andrew Forbes, and David Rosenberg.  The essays look at piracy around the world and throughout history … Continue reading

Pirate Weekend in Newburgh, NY and Real Pirates Charged in Norfolk

This week HMS Bounty, the replica ship built for the 1960 movie, “Mutiny on the Bounty,”  will be the centerpiece of the “Pirate Weekend”  in Newburgh, New York, on the Hudson River, sixty miles north of new York City.  The Bounty … Continue reading

ICS: “GOVERNMENTS MUST DO MORE ON PIRACY”

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) issued a statement which we think is right on target. The current policy of disrupting but not consistently apprehending pirates has been a failure. The unacceptable situation prevailing now, with seafarers lives being threatened … Continue reading