Stratfor Piracy Report 2011

Somali pirates continued their activities in 2011 but hijacked fewer ships than in 2010 or 2009. The pirates’ area of operations contracted during the past year while the use of some countermeasures expanded. Although these countermeasures might have helped curtail Somali piracy in 2011, significant improvements will not be likely until serious efforts are taken on land to eliminate havens for pirates. Furthermore, piracy comes with a large economic incentive.

Even if the Somali pirates are displaced from their current havens, they likely will find ways to operate if there are no alternatives for making money — alternatives that are scarce in Somalia, which ……..[access full article here]