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{{otheruses4|maritime piracy|the term referring to [[copyright infringement]] or other uses of "piracy" or "pirate"|Pirate (disambiguation)}} [[File:Pirate Flag of Rack Rackham.svg|thumb|250px|The [[Jolly Roger]] flag popularly attributed to 18th century pirate [[Calico Jack]] Rackham]] [[File:Drawing of Act I Finale.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Jolly Roger raised in an illustration for [[Gilbert and Sullivan]]'s ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]''.]] '''Piracy''' is a war-like act committed by private parties ([[non-state actor|not affiliated with any government]]) that engage in acts of [[robbery]] and/or [[crime|criminal violence]] at [[sea]]. The term can include acts committed in other major bodies of water or on a [[shore]]. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons travelling on the same vessel as the perpetrator (e.g. one passenger stealing from others on the same vessel). The term has been used to refer to raids across land borders by non-state agents. Piracy should be distinguished from [[privateer]]ing, which was a legitimate form of war-like activity by non-state actors, authorized by their national authorities, until this form of [[commerce raiding]] was outlawed in the 19th century. == Definition == Maritime piracy, according to the [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]] (UNCLOS) of 1982, consists of any criminal acts of violence, detention, or depredation committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or aircraft that is directed on the high seas against another ship, aircraft, or against persons or property on board a ship or aircraft. Piracy can also be committed against a ship, aircraft, persons, or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state, in fact piracy has been the first example of universal jurisdiction. Nevertheless today the [[international community]] is facing many problems in bringing pirates to [[justice]].<ref>{{cite news |first=M.Chiarugi |last=D.Archibugi |url=http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/piracy-challenges-global-governance |title=Piracy challenges global governance |date=2009-04-09 |accessdate=2009-04-09 |publisher=[[Open Democracy]]}}</ref> ==Etymology== The [[English language|English]] "pirate" is derived from the [[Latin]] term ''pirata'' and that from [[Greek language|Greek]] πειρατής (''peiratēs'') "brigand",<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2380356 Peirates, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, "A Greek-English Lexicon", at Perseus].</ref> from πειράομαι (peiráomai) "attempt", from πεῖρα (''peîra'') "attempt, experience".<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2380341 Peira, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, "A Greek-English Lexicon", at Perseus].</ref> The word is also cognate to ''peril''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=pirate&searchmode=none |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Etymonline.com |date= |accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> ==History== ===Ancient origins=== [[File:Romtrireme.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Mosaic of a [[Trireme|Roman Trireme]] in [[Tunisia]].]] It may be reasonable to assume that piracy has existed for as long as the oceans were plied for commerce. The earliest documented instances of piracy are the exploits of the [[Sea Peoples]] who threatened the [[Aegean civilization|Aegean]] and [[Mediterranean]] in the 13th century BC.<ref name="buccaneersoft1">[http://pirateshold.buccaneersoft.com/pirate_timeline.html The Pirates Hold - Piracy Timeline].</ref> In [[Classical Antiquity]], the [[Illyrians]] and [[Tyrrhenians]] were known as pirates, as well as [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] and [[Ancient Rome|Romans]]. The island of [[Lemnos]] long resisted Greek influence and remained a haven for Thracian pirates. During their voyages the [[Phoenicia]]ns seem to have sometimes resorted to piracy, and specialized in kidnapping boys and girls to be sold as [[slave]]s.<ref>[http://www.reocities.com/CapitolHill/Parliament/2587/trade.html Phoenician Economy and Trade].</ref> In the 3rd century BC, pirate attacks on [[Olympos]] (city in [[Anatolia]]) brought impoverishment. Among some of the most famous ancient pirateering peoples were the [[Illyrians]], populating the western Balkan peninsula. Constantly raiding the [[Adriatic Sea]], the Illyrians caused many conflicts with the [[Roman Republic]]. It was not until [[168 BC]] when the Romans finally conquered Illyria, making it a province that ended their threat. During the 1st century BC, there were pirate states along the [[Anatolia]]n coast, threatening the commerce of the [[Roman Empire]] in the eastern Mediterranean. On one voyage across the [[Aegean Sea]] in 75 BC,<ref>Again, according to Suetonius's chronology (''Julius'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#4 4]). Plutarch (''Caesar'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Caesar*.html#1.8 1.8-2]) says this happened earlier, on his return from Nicomedes's court. Velleius Paterculus (''Roman History'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Velleius_Paterculus/2B*.html#41.3 2:41.3-42] says merely that it happened when he was a young man.</ref> [[Julius Caesar]] was kidnapped by [[Cilicia]]n pirates and held prisoner in the [[Dodecanese]] islet of [[Farmakos|Pharmacusa]].<ref>Plutarch, ''Caesar'' 1-2.</ref> He maintained an attitude of superiority and good cheer throughout his captivity. When the pirates decided to demand a ransom of twenty [[Talent (weight)|talents]] of gold, Caesar is said to have insisted that he was worth at least fifty, and the pirates indeed raised the ransom to fifty talents. After the ransom was paid and Caesar was released, he raised a fleet, pursued and captured the pirates, and had them put to death. The Senate finally invested with powers to deal with piracy in 67 BC (the ''[[Lex Gabinia]]''), and Pompey after three months of naval warfare [[Pompey#Campaign against the pirates|managed]] to suppress the threat. As early as 258 AD, the [[Goths|Gothic]]-[[Heruli]]c fleet ravaged towns on the coasts of the [[Black Sea]] and [[Sea of Marmara]]. The [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]] coast suffered similar attacks a few years later. In 264, the [[Goths]] reached [[Galatia]] and [[Cappadocia]], and Gothic pirates landed on [[Cyprus]] and [[Crete]]. In the process, the Goths seized enormous booty and took thousands into captivity. In 286 AD, [[Carausius]], a Roman military commander of Gaulish origins, was appointed to command the ''[[Classis Britannica]]'', and given the responsibility of eliminating [[Frankish]] and [[Saxons|Saxon]] pirates who had been raiding the coasts of [[Armorica]] and Belgic [[Gaul]]. In the Roman province of Britannia, [[Saint Patrick]] was captured and enslaved by [[Ireland|Irish]] pirates. Early [[Polynesia]]n [[warrior]]s attacked seaside and riverside villages. They used the sea for their [[hit-and-run tactics]] - a safe place to retreat to if the battle turned against them. ===Middle Ages to 19th century=== The most widely known and far reaching pirates in medieval [[Europe]] were the [[Vikings]], warriors and looters from [[Scandinavia]] who raided from about 783 to 1066, during the [[Viking Age]] in the [[Early Middle Ages]]. They raided the coasts, rivers and inland cities of all Western Europe as far as [[Seville]], attacked by the Norse in 844. Vikings even attacked coasts of North Africa and Italy. They also plundered all the coasts of the [[Baltic Sea]], ascending the rivers of Eastern Europe as far as the Black Sea and Persia. The lack of centralized powers all over [[Europe]] during the [[Middle Ages]] favoured pirates all over the continent. Meanwhile, [[Muslim]] pirates terrorized the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. Toward the end of the 9th century, Muslim pirate havens were established along the coast of southern [[France]] and northern [[Italy]].<ref>[http://www.oocities.com/athens/troy/4040/pirates.htm The Pirates of St. Tropez].</ref> In 846 Muslim raiders [[Sack of Rome (846)|sacked Rome]] and damaged the Vatican. In 911, the bishop of [[Narbonne]] was unable to return to France from Rome because the Muslims from [[Fraxinet]] controlled all the passes in the [[Alps]]. Muslim pirates operated out of the [[Balearic Islands]] in the 10th century. From 824 to 961 [[Arab]] pirates in [[Crete]] raided the entire Mediterranean. In the 14th century, raids by Muslim pirates forced the Venetian Duke of [[Crete]] to ask [[Republic of Venice|Venice]] to keep its fleet on constant guard.<ref>[http://www.cretanews.com/site/index.php?page=art&article=104&lang= Piracy on Crete], Creta News.</ref> After the [[Slavs|Slavic]] [[invasions]] of the Balkan peninsula in the 5th and 6th centuries, a [[Slavs|Slavic]] tribe settled the land of [[Pagania]] between [[Dalmatia]] and [[Zachlumia]] in the first half of the 7th century. These Slavs revived the old Illyrian piratical habits and often raided the Adriatic Sea. By 642 they invaded southern Italy and assaulted Siponte in [[Benevento]]. Their raids in the Adriatic increased rapidly, until the whole Sea was no longer safe for travel. The "[[Narentines]]", as they were called, took more liberties in their raiding quests while the [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]] Navy was abroad, as when it was campaigning in Sicilian waters in 827-82. As soon as the Venetian fleet would return to the Adriatic, the Narentines temporarily abandoned their habits again, even signing a Treaty in Venice and baptising their Slavic pagan leader into Christianity. In 834 or 835 they broke the treaty and again the [[Neretva pirate]]s raided Venetian traders returning from Benevento, and all of Venice's military attempts to punish the Marians in 839 and 840 utterly failed. Later, they raided the Venetians more often, together with the [[Arabs]]. In 846 the Narentines broke through to Venice itself and raided its lagoon city of [[Caorle]]. In the middle of March of 870 they kidnapped the Roman Bishop's emissaries that were returning from the Ecclesiastical Council in Constantinople. This caused a Byzantine military action against them that finally brought Christianity to them. After the [[Arab Empire|Arab]] raids on the [[Adriatic coast]] c. 872 and the retreat of the Imperial Navy, the Narentines continued their raids of Venetian waters, causing new conflicts with the Italians in 887-888. The Venetians futilely continued to fight them throughout the 10th-11th centuries. In 937, [[Irish people|Irish]] pirates sided with the Scots, Vikings, [[Picts]], and Welsh in their invasion of England. [[Athelstan]] drove them back. The [[Slavic piracy]] in the [[Baltic Sea]] ended with the Danish conquest of the [[Rani (Slavic tribe)|Rani]] stronghold of [[Cape Arkona|Arkona]] in 1168. In the 12th century the coasts of western Scandinavia were plundered by [[Curonians]] and [[Oeselians]] from the eastern coast of the [[Baltic Sea]]. In the 13th and 14th century pirates threatened the [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic]] routes and nearly brought sea trade to the brink of extinction. The [[Victual Brothers]] of [[Gotland]] were a companionship of [[privateer]]s who later turned to piracy. Until about 1440, maritime trade in both the [[North Sea]] and the Baltic Sea was seriously in danger of attack by the pirates. H. Thomas Milhorn mentions a certain Englishman named [[William Maurice]], convicted of piracy in 1241, as the first person known to have been [[hanged, drawn and quartered]],<ref>H Thomas Milhorn, ''Crime: Computer Viruses to Twin Towers'', Universal Publishers, 2004. ISBN 1-58112-489-9.</ref> which would indicate that the then-ruling King [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] took an especially severe view of this crime. The [[ushkuiniks]] were [[Novgorod]]ian pirates who looted the cities on the [[Volga]] and [[Kama]] Rivers in the 14th century. As early as [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] times, the [[Maniots]] - one of [[Greece]]'s toughest populations - were known as pirates. The Maniots considered piracy as a legitimate response to the fact that their land was poor and it became their main source of income. The main victims of Maniot pirates were the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] but the Maniots also targeted ships of European countries. The [[Haida]] and [[Tlingit]] tribes, who lived along the coast of southern [[Alaska]] and on islands in northwest [[British Columbia]], were traditionally known as fierce [[warrior]]s, pirates and [[slave trade|slave-traders]], raiding as far as [[California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/havwa01e.html|title=Haida Warfare}}</ref> ====On the Indian coast==== Instances of Piracy in India are recorded on [[Vedas]]. However the most interesting one is when the issue of piracy was utilized as a excuse for war. [[Invasion of Sindh]], In Seventh century the new kingdom of [[Hajjaz]] wanted to expand Arab domination over India especially [[Sindh]].The Arab Caliph of Baghdad was in search of an excuse to invade India. The excuse taken was that a ship enroute from [[Sri Lanka]] to Baghdad was carrying among valuables some slave girls was looted off [[Debal]]. The Caliph demanded compensation and the King Dahir of Sindh rightfully denied as the pirates were not in his control. This became an excuse for war between Arabs and Sindh.<ref>R.S.Sharma, ''Medieval History of India''</ref> Since the 14th century the [[Deccan]] (Southern Peninsular region of India) was divided into two entities: on the one side stood the Muslim-ruled [[Bahmani Sultanate]], and on the other stood the Hindu kings rallied around the [[Vijayanagara Empire]]. Continuous wars demanded frequent resupplies of fresh horses, which were imported through sea routes from Persia and Africa. This trade was subjected to frequent raids by thriving bands of pirates based in the coastal cities of Western India. During the 16th and 17th centuries there was frequent European piracy against [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] Indian vessels, especially those en route to Mecca for [[Hajj]]. The situation came to a head, when Portuguese attacked and captured the vessel ''Rahimi'' which belonged to [[Mariam Zamani]] the Mughal queen, which led to the Mughal seizure of the Portuguese town Daman.<ref>Findly, Elison B (April - June 1988). "The Capture of Maryam-uz-Zamānī's Ship: Mughal Women and European Traders," ''Journal of the American Oriental Society'', 108 (2): 227-238.</ref> In the 18th century, the famous [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]] privateer [[Kanhoji Angre]] ruled the seas between Mumbai and Goa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/journal_of_world_history/v012/12.2risso.html|title=Cross-Cultural Perceptions of Piracy: Maritime Violence in the Western Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf Region during a Long Eighteenth Century}}</ref> The Marathas attacked British shipping and insisted that [[British East India Company|East India Company]] ships pay taxes if sailing through their waters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/exhibitions/soldiersSeahawks/page2.shtml|title=Soldiers, Seahawks and Smugglers}}</ref> At one stage, the pirate population of [[Madagascar]] numbered close to 1000.<ref>Gemma Pitcher,Patricia C. Wright. " ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=m2eLhe7CpMMC&pg=PA178&dq&hl=en#v=onepage&q=&f=false Madagascar & Comoros] ''" p.178.</ref> The most famous [[pirate utopia]] is that of Captain Misson and his pirate crew, who allegedly founded the free colony of [[Libertatia]] in northern Madagascar in the late 17th century. In 1694, it was destroyed in a surprise attack by the island natives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=869187|title=Libertatia}}</ref> The southern coast of the [[Persian Gulf]] became known as the ''Pirate Coast'' as raiders based there harassed foreign shipping. Early British expeditions to protect the [[Trade route|Indian Ocean trade]] from raiders at [[Ras al-Khaimah]] led to campaigns against that headquarters and other harbors along the coast in 1819.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/197306/from.pirate.coast.to.trucial.htm|title=From Pirate Coast To Trucial}}</ref> ====In East Asia==== {{main|Wokou}} [[File:Wokou.jpg|thumb|225px|left|Sixteenth century [[Wokou|Japanese]] pirate raids.]] From the 13th century, [[Wokou]] based in Japan made their debut in [[East Asia]], initiating invasions that would persist for 300 years. Piracy in South East Asia began with the retreating [[Yuan Dynasty|Mongol Yuan]] fleet after the betrayal by their Javanese allies (who, incidentally, would found the empire of [[Majapahit]] after the Mongols left). They preferred the junk, a ship using a more robust sail layout. Marooned navy officers, consisting mostly of Cantonese and Hokkien tribesmen, set up their small gangs near river estuaries, mainly to protect themselves. They recruited locals as common foot-soldiers known as 'lang' (lanun) to set up their fortresses. They survived by utilizing their well trained pugilists, as well as marine and navigation skills, mostly along Sumatran and Javanese estuaries. Their strength and ferocity coincided with the impending trade growth of the maritime silk and spice routes. However, the most powerful pirate fleets of East Asia were those of [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] pirates during the mid-[[Qing]] dynasty. Pirate fleets grew increasingly powerful throughout the early 19th century. The effects large-scale piracy had on the Chinese economy were immense. They preyed voraciously on China's junk trade, which flourished in [[Fujian]] and [[Guangdong]] and was a vital artery of Chinese commerce. Pirate fleets exercised [[hegemony]] over villages on the coast, collecting revenue by exacting tribute and running [[extortion]] rackets. In 1802, the menacing [[Cheng I|Zheng Yi]] inherited the fleet of his cousin, captain Zheng Qi, whose death provided Zheng Yi with considerably more influence in the world of piracy. Zheng Yi and his wife, [[Zheng Yi Sao]] (who would eventually inherit the leadership of his pirate confederacy) then formed a pirate coalition that, by 1804, consisted of over ten thousand men. Their military might alone was sufficient to combat the Qing navy. However, a combination of famine, Qing naval opposition, and internal rifts crippled piracy in China around the 1820s, and it has never again reached the same status. The [[Bugis|Buginese]] sailors of [[South Sulawesi]] were infamous as pirates who used to range as far west as [[Singapore]] and as far north as the [[Philippines]] in search of targets for piracy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.on-the-edge.com/articles/raja_ampat.php|title=The Buginese of Sulawesi}}</ref> The [[Orang laut]] pirates controlled shipping in the [[Piracy in the Strait of Malacca|Straits of Malacca]] and the waters around Singapore,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/1997|title=Pirates of the East}}</ref> and the [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malay]] and [[Iban people|Sea Dayak]] pirates preyed on maritime shipping in the waters between Singapore and Hong Kong from their haven in [[Sarawak|Borneo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fullbooks.com/Wanderings-Among-South-Sea-Savages-And-in3.html|title=Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines by H. Wilfrid Walker}}</ref> ====In Eastern Europe==== {{main|Cossacks|Uskoks}} [[File:Cotes de la Mer Noire. Cosaques d'Azof abordant un corsaire Turc. (1847).jpg|thumb|[[Grigory Gagarin]]. Cossaks of Azov fighting a Turk ship]] One example of a pirate republic in Europe from the 16th through the 18th century was [[Zaporizhian Sich]]. Situated in the remote [[Steppe]], it was populated with Ukrainian peasants that had run away from their feudal masters, outlaws of every sort, destitute gentry, run-away slaves from Turkish [[galleys]], etc. The remoteness of the place and the rapids at the [[Dnepr]] river effectively guarded the place from invasions of vengeful powers. The main target of the inhabitants of [[Zaporizhian Sich]] who called themselves “[[Cossacks]]” were rich settlements at the [[Black Sea]] shores of [[Ottoman Empire]] and [[Crimean Khanate]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wumag.kiev.ua/index2.php?param=pgs20051/98|title=Places which had been raided or besieged by the Cossacks}}</ref> By 1615 and 1625, [[Zaporozhian Cossacks]] had even managed to raze townships on the outskirts of [[Istanbul]], forcing the [[Ottoman Sultan]] to flee his palace.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oocities.com/unavy/aCossack1.html|title=Cossack Navy 16th - 17th Centuries}}</ref> [[Don Cossacks]] under [[Stenka Razin]] even ravaged the [[Iran|Persian]] coasts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cindyvallar.com/razin.html|title=The History of Maritime Piracy - Stepan Razin}}</ref> ====In North Africa==== {{main|Barbary pirates}} The Barbary pirates were pirates and [[privateers]] that operated from North African (the "[[Barbary coast]]") ports of [[Tunis]], [[Tripoli]], [[Algiers]], [[Salé]] and ports in [[Morocco]], preying on shipping in the western [[Mediterranean Sea]] from the time of the [[Crusades]] as well as on ships on their way to Asia around Africa until the early 19th century. The coastal villages and towns of [[Italy]], [[Spain]] and [[List of islands in the Mediterranean|Mediterranean islands]] were frequently attacked by them and long stretches of the Italian and Spanish coasts were almost completely abandoned by their inhabitants; after 1600 Barbary pirates occasionally entered the Atlantic and struck as far north as [[Iceland]]. According to Robert Davis<ref>{{cite web|url=http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/whtslav.htm|title=''When Europeans were slaves: Research suggests white slavery was much more common than previously believed''}}</ref><ref>"''[http://books.google.com/books?id=5q9zcB3JS40C&pg=PR14&dq&hl=en#v=onepage&q=&f=false Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast and Italy, 1500-1800]''". Robert Davis (2004) ISBN 1403945519</ref> between 1 million and 1.25 million Europeans were captured by Barbary pirates and sold as [[Arab slave trade|slaves]] in [[North Africa]] and [[Ottoman Empire]] between the 16th and 19th centuries. The most famous [[corsair]]s were the Ottoman [[Hayreddin Barbarossa|Hayreddin]] and his older brother [[Aruj|Barbarossa]] (Redbeard), [[Turgut Reis]] (known as Dragut in the West), [[Kurtoğlu Muslihiddin Reis|Kurtoğlu]] (known as [[Kurtoğlu Muslihiddin Reis|Curtogoli]] in the West), [[Kemal Reis]], [[Salih Reis]] and [[Murat Reis the Older|Koca Murat Reis]]. A few Barbary pirates, such as [[Jan Janszoon]] and [[John Ward (pirate)|John Ward]] [Yusuf Reis], were renegade English privateers who had converted to Islam. According to recent legal analysis{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], the United States treated captured Barbary corsairs as [[prisoners of war]], indicating that they were considered as legitimate privateers by at least some of their opponents, as well as by their home countries. ====In the Caribbean==== [[File:Pyle pirate relaxing b.png|thumb|A pirate captain relaxes with his crew in a [[Howard Pyle]] illustration from ''Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates''.]] {{main|Piracy in the Caribbean}} In 1523, [[Jean Fleury]] seized two [[Spanish treasure fleet|Spanish treasure ships]] carrying [[Aztec]] treasures from Mexico to Spain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/claim.html|title=Spanish Claim to Land}}</ref> The great or classic era of piracy in the [[Caribbean]] extends from around 1560 up until the mid 1720s. The period during which pirates were most successful was from 1700 until the 1730s. Many pirates came to the Caribbean after the end of the [[War of the Spanish Succession]]. Many people stayed in the Caribbean and became pirates shortly after that. Others, the [[buccaneer]]s, arrived in the mid-to-late 17th century and made attempts at earning a living by farming and hunting on [[Hispaniola]] and nearby islands; pressed by Spanish raids and possibly failure of their means of making a living, they turned to a more lucrative occupation (not to mention more active and conducive to revenge). Caribbean piracy arose out of, and mirrored on a smaller scale, the conflicts over trade and colonization among the rival European powers of the time, including the empires of [[British Empire|Britain]], [[Spanish Empire|Spain]], the [[Dutch Empire|Netherlands]], [[Portuguese Empire|Portugal]] and [[French colonial empires|France]]. Most of these pirates were of [[England|English]], Dutch and French origin. Because Spain controlled most of the Caribbean, many of the attacked cities and ships belonged to the [[Spanish Empire]] and along the East coast of America and the West coast of Africa. Dutch ships captured about 500 Spanish and Portuguese ships between 1623 and 1638.<ref name="buccaneersoft1"/> Some of the best-known pirate bases were New Providence, in the Bahamas from 1715 to 1725,<ref>{{cite book | last = Woodard | first = Colin | <!-- authorlink = http://www.colinwoodard.com --> | coauthors = | title = The Republic of Pirates | publisher = Harcourt, Inc | date = 2007 | location = | pages = | url = http://www.republicofpirates.net | doi = | id = | isbn =978-0-15-603462-3 }}</ref> [[Tortuga (Haiti)|Tortuga]] established in the 1640s and [[Port Royal]] after 1655. Among the most famous Caribbean pirates are [[Edward Teach]] or "Blackbeard", [[Calico Jack|Calico Jack Rackham]] and [[Henry Morgan]]. ==Popular Image== {{main|Golden Age of Piracy}} In the popular modern imagination, pirates of the classical period were rebellious, clever teams who operated outside the restricting [[bureaucracy]] of modern life. Pirates were also depicted as always raising their [[Jolly Roger]] flag when preparing to hijack a vessel. The Jolly Roger is the traditional name for the [[flag]]s of European and American pirates and a symbol for piracy that has been adopted by film-makers and toy manufacturers. ==Pirate Democracy== {{also|Pirate code}} Unlike traditional Western societies of the time, many pirate crews operated as limited [[democracy|democracies]]. Pirate communities were some of the first to instate a system of checks and balances similar to the one used by the present-day United States and many other countries. The first record of such a government aboard a pirate sloop dates to the 1600s, a full century before the United States' and France's adoption of democracy in 1789, or Spain's move to democracy in 1812.<ref>Leeson, Peter T. “An-arrghchy: The Law and Economics of Pirate Organization.” Journal of Political Economy 115, no. 6 (2007): 1049-1094. pg 1066 [http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/526403 University of Chicago]</ref> Both the captain and the [[quartermaster]] were elected by the crew; they, in turn, appointed the other ship's officers. The captain of a pirate ship was often a fierce fighter in whom the men could place their trust, rather than a more traditional authority figure sanctioned by an elite. However, when not in battle, the quartermaster usually had the real authority. Many groups of pirates shared in whatever they seized; pirates injured in battle might be afforded special compensation similar to medical or disability insurance. There are contemporary records that many pirates placed a portion of any captured money into a central fund that was used to compensate the injuries sustained by the crew. Lists show standardised payments of 600 pieces of eight ($156,000 in modern currency) for the loss of a leg down to 100 pieces ($26,800) for loss of an eye. Often all of these terms were agreed upon and written down by the pirates, but these [[Pirate code of the Brethren|articles]] could also be used as incriminating proof that they were outlaws. Pirates readily accepted outcasts from traditional societies, perhaps easily recognizing kindred spirits, and they were known to welcome them into the pirate fold. For example as many as 40% of the pirate vessels' crews were slaves liberated from captured slavers. Such practices within a pirate crew were tenuous, however, and did little to mitigate the brutality of the pirate's way of life. ==Treasure== Even though pirates raided many ships, few, if any, buried their treasure. Often, the "treasure" that was stolen was food, water, alcohol, weapons, or clothing. Other things they stole were household items like bits of soap and gear like rope and anchors, or sometimes they would keep the ship they captured (either to sell off or because it was better than their ship). Such items were likely to be needed immediately, rather than saved for future trade. For this reason, there was no reason for the pirates to bury these goods. Pirates tended to kill few people aboard the ships they captured; oftentimes they would kill no one if the ship surrendered, because if it became known that pirates took no prisoners, their victims would fight to the last and make victory both very difficult and costly in lives. Contrariwise, ships would quickly surrender if they knew they would be spared. In one well-documented case 300 heavily armed soldiers on a ship attacked by [[Thomas Tew]] surrendered after a brief battle with none of Tew's 40-man crew being injured.<ref>[http://piratesofamerica.com/Pirates_of_America/Thomas_Tew.html Piratesofamerica.com]{{Dead link|date=August 2009}}</ref> ===Rewards of piracy=== [[File:Morgan,Henry.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Sir Henry Morgan]]]] Pirates had a system of hierarchy on board their ships determining how captured money was distributed. However, pirates were more “egalitarian” than any other area of employment at the time. In fact pirate [[quartermaster]]s were a counterbalance to the captain and had the power to veto his orders. The majority of plunder was in the form of cargo and ship's equipment with medicines the most highly prized. A vessel's doctor’s chest would be worth anywhere from £300 to £400, or around $470,000 in today’s values. Jewels were common plunder but not popular as they were hard to sell, and pirates, unlike the public of today, had little concept of their value. There is one case recorded where a pirate was given a large diamond worth a great deal more than the value of the handful of small diamonds given his crewmates as a share. He felt cheated and had it broken up to match what they received.<ref name="Vallar">{{cite web|url= http://www.cindyvallar.com/treasure.html|title=Treasure|accessdate=2009-04-21}}</ref> [[Spanish dollar|Spanish pieces of eight]] minted in [[Mexico]] or [[Seville]] were the standard trade currency in the American colonies. However, every colony still used the monetary units of pounds, shillings and pence for bookkeeping while Spanish, German, French and Portuguese money were all standard mediums of exchange as British law prohibited the export of British silver coinage. Until the exchange rates were standardised in the late 1700s each colony legislated its own different exchange rates. In England, 1 piece of eight was worth 4s 3d while it was worth 8s in [[New York]], 7s 6d in [[Pennsylvania]] and 6s 8d in [[Virginia]]. One 18th century English shilling was worth around $58 in modern currency so a piece of eight could be worth anywhere from $246 to $465. As such, the value of pirate plunder could vary considerably depending on who recorded it and where.<ref>[http://www.hudsonrivervalley.net/AMERICANBOOK/18.html The Hudson River Valley Institute]</ref><ref>[http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCurrency/CurrencyIntros/IntroValue.html University of Notre Dame]</ref> Ordinary seamen received a part of the plunder at the captain's discretion but usually a single share. On average, a pirate could expect the equivalent of a year's wages as his share from each ship captured while the crew of the most successful pirates would often each receive a share valued at around £1,000 ($1.17 million) at least once in their career.<ref name="Vallar"/> One of the larger amounts taken from a single ship was that by captain [[Thomas Tew]] from an [[India]]n merchantman in 1692. Each ordinary seaman on his ship received a share worth £3,000 ($3.5 million) with officers receiving proportionally larger amounts as per the agreed shares with Tew himself receiving 2½ shares. It is known there were actions with multiple ships captured where a single share was worth almost double this.<ref name="Vallar"/><ref name="Gosse">{{Cite book |last= Gosse|first= Philip |title= The Pirates' Who's Who|publisher=BiblioBazaar, LLC|year=2007 |isbn=1434633020}} p. 251.</ref> By contrast, an ordinary seamen in the [[Royal Navy]] received 19s per month to be paid in a lump sum at the end of a tour of duty which was around half the rate paid in the [[Merchant Navy]]. However, corrupt officers would often “tax” their crews' wage to supplement their own and the Royal Navy of the day was infamous for its reluctance to pay. From this wage, 6d per month was deducted for the maintenance of [[Greenwich Hospital]] with similar amounts deducted for the [[Chatham Chest]], the [[chaplain]] and [[surgeon]]. Six months' pay was withheld to discourage desertion. That this was insufficient incentive is revealed in a report on proposed changes to the RN [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Admiral Nelson]] wrote in 1803; he noted that since 1793 more than 42,000 sailors had deserted. Roughly half of all RN crews were [[Impressment|pressganged]] and these not only received lower wages than volunteers but were shackled while the vessel was docked and were never permitted to go ashore until released from service.<ref name="Hickox">{{Cite book |last= Hickox|first= Rex |title= All You Wanted to Know about 18th Century Royal Navy|publisher=Lulu.com|year=2007 |isbn=1411630572}} p. 16.</ref><ref name="Hill">{{Cite book |last= Hill|first= J.R. |title= The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2002 |isbn=0198605277}} p. 157.</ref> Although the Royal Navy suffered from many morale issues, it answered the question of prize money via the 'Cruizers and Convoys' Act of 1708 which handed over the share previously gained by the Crown to the captors of the ship. Technically it was still possible for the Crown to get the money or a portion of it but this rarely happened. The process of condemnation of a captured vessel and its cargo and men was given to the High Court of the Admiralty and this was the process which remained in force with minor changes throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The share-out of prize-money is given below in its pre-1808 state. (a) 1/8 Flag Officer (b) 2/8 Captain(s) (c) 1/8 Captains of Marines, Lieutenants, Masters, Surgeons (d) 1/8 Lieutenants of Marines, Secretary to Flag Officer, Principal Warrant Officers, Chaplains. (e) 1/8 Midshipmen, Inferior Warrant Officers, Principal Warrant Officer's Mates, Marine Sergeants (f) 2/8 The Rest. After 1808 the regulations were changed to give the following: (a) 1/3 of the Captain's share (b) 2/8 (c) 1/8 (d) 1/8 (e) & (f) 4/8 Even the flag officer's share was not quite straightforward; he would only get the full one-eighth if he had no junior flag officer beneath him. If this was the case then he would get a third share. If he had more than one then he would take one half while the rest was shared out equally. There was a great deal of money to be made in this way. The record breaker, admittedly before our wars, was the capture of the Spanish frigate the Hermione, which was carrying treasure in 1762. The value of this was so great that each individual seaman netted £485. The two captains responsible, Evans and Pownall, got just on £65,000 each. In January 1807 the frigate Caroline took the Spanish San Rafael which brought in £52,000 for her captain, Peter Rainier (who had been only a Midshipman some thirteen months before). All through the wars there are examples of this kind of luck falling on captains. Another famous 'capture' was that of the Spanish frigates Thetis and Santa Brigada which were loaded with specie. They were taken by four British frigates who shared the money, each captain receiving £40,730. Each lieutenant got £5,091, the Warrant Officer group, £2,468, the midshipmen £791 and the individual seamen £182. It should also be noted that it was usually only the frigates which took prizes; the ships of the line were far too ponderous to be able to chase and capture the smaller ships which generally carried treasure. Nelson always bemoaned that he had done badly out of prize money and even as a flag officer received little. This was not that he had a bad command of captains but rather that British mastery of the seas was so complete that few enemy ships dared to sail.[http://www.hms.org.uk/nelsonsnavyprize.htm] '''Comparison chart using the share distribution known for three pirates against the shares for a Privateer and wages as paid by the Royal Navy.''' <onlyinclude> {| class=wikitable ! width="25%" | Rank ! width="15%" | Bartholomew Roberts ! width="15%" | [[George Lowther (pirate)|George Lowther]] ! width="15%" | William Phillips ! width="15%" | Privateer<br/>([[William Monson (Royal Navy officer)|Sir William Monson]]) ! width="15%" | Royal Navy<br/>Per Month |- valign="top" | [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] | 2 shares | 2 shares | 1½ shares | 10 shares | £8, 8s |- valign="top" | [[Master-at-arms|Master]] | 1½ shares | 1½ shares | 1¼ shares | 7 or 8 shares | £4 |- valign="top" | [[Boatswain]] | 1½ shares | 1¼ shares | 1¼ shares | 5 shares | £2 |- valign="top" | [[Sailor|Gunner]] | 1½ shares | 1¼ shares | 1¼ shares | 5 shares | £2 |- valign="top" | [[Quartermaster]] | 2 shares | | | 4 shares | £1, 6s |- valign="top" | [[Carpenter]] | | | 1¼ shares | 5 shares | £2 |- valign="top" | [[Sub-Lieutenant|Mate]] | | 1¼ shares | | 5 shares | £2, 2s |- valign="top" | [[Physician|Doctor]] | | 1¼ shares | | 5 shares | £5 +2d per man aboard |- valign="top" | “Other Officers” | 1¼ shares | | | various rates | various rates |- valign="top" | [[Able seaman|Able Seamen]] (2 yrs experience)<br/>[[Ordinary seaman|Ordinary Seamen]] (some exp)<br/>[[Landsman|Landsmen]] (pressganged) |<br/>1 share |<br/>1 share |<br/>1 share | | 22s<br/>19s<br />11s |}</onlyinclude> ===Punishment=== During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, once pirates were caught, justice was meted out in a summary fashion, and many ended their lives by "dancing the hempen jig", or hanging at the end of a rope. Public execution was a form of entertainment at the time, and people came out to watch them as they would to a sporting event today. Newspapers were glad to report every detail, such as recording the condemned men's last words, the prayers said by the priests for their immortal souls, and their final agonising moments on the gallows. In England most of these executions took place at Execution Dock on the River Thames in London. In the cases of more famous prisoners, usually captains their punishments extended beyond death. Their bodies were enclosed in [[gibbet|iron cages]] (for which they were measured before their execution) and left to swing in the air until the flesh rotted off them- a process that could take as long as two years. The bodies of captains such as William Kidd, Charles Vane, William Fly, and Jack Rackham were all treated this way.<ref name="Pirates by John Matthews">Pirates by John Matthews</ref> ==Privateers== {{main|Privateer}} A '''privateer''' or '''[[corsair]]''' used similar methods to a pirate, but acted while in possession of a commission or [[letter of marque]] from a government or monarch authorizing the capture of merchant ships belonging to an enemy nation. For example, the [[United States Constitution]] of 1787 specifically authorized [[United States Congress|Congress]] to issue letters of marque and reprisal. The letter of marque was recognized by international convention and meant that a privateer could not technically be charged with piracy while attacking the targets named in his commission. This nicety of law did not always save the individuals concerned, however, as whether one was considered a pirate or a legally operating privateer often depended on whose custody the individual found himself in&mdash;that of the country that had issued the commission, or that of the object of attack. Spanish authorities were known to execute foreign privateers with their letters of marque hung around their necks to emphasize Spain's rejection of such defenses. Furthermore, many privateers exceeded the bounds of their letters of marque by attacking nations with which their sovereign was at peace ([[Thomas Tew]] and [[William Kidd]] are notable examples), and thus made themselves liable to conviction for piracy. However, a letter of marque did provide some cover for such pirates, as plunder seized from neutral or friendly shipping could be passed off later as taken from enemy merchants. The famous [[Barbary pirates|Barbary Corsairs]] of the [[Mediterranean]] were privateers, as were the Maltese Corsairs, who were authorized by the [[Knights Hospitaller|Knights of St. John]], and the [[Dunkirkers]] in the service of the [[Spanish Empire]]. From 1609 to 1616, England lost 466 merchant ships to Barbary pirates.<ref>Rees Davies, [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/white_slaves_01.shtml British Slaves on the Barbary Coast], [[BBC]], July 1, 2003.</ref> One famous privateer was [[Sir Francis Drake]]. His patron was Queen Elizabeth I, and their relationship ultimately proved to be quite profitable for [[England]].<ref name=Kelsey>Kelsey, Harry, ''Sir Francis Drake; The Queen's Pirate'', Yale University Press, New Haven, 1998, ISBN 0-300-07182-5.</ref> Privateers were a large proportion of the total military force at sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. During the [[Nine Years War]], the French adopted a policy of strongly encouraging privateers, including the famous [[Jean Bart]], to attack English and Dutch shipping. England lost roughly 4,000 merchant ships during the war.<ref name=Privateer>[http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj11n1/cj11n1-8.pdf Privateering and the Private Production of Naval Power], ''Gary M. Anderson and Adam Gifford Jr.''</ref> In the following [[War of Spanish Succession]], privateer attacks continued, Britain losing 3,250 merchant ships.<ref>Brewer, John. ''The Sinews of Power: War, Money, and the English State, 1688-1783.'' New York.: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989. p. 197.</ref> During the [[War of Austrian Succession]], Britain lost 3,238 merchant ships and France lost 3,434 merchant ships to the British.<ref name=Privateer/> During [[King George's War]], approximately 36,000 Americans served aboard privateers at one time or another.<ref name=Privateer/> During the [[American Revolution]], about 55,000 American seamen served aboard the privateers.<ref>[http://www.usmm.org/revolution.html Privateers or Merchant Mariners help win the Revolutionary War].</ref> The American privateers had almost 1,700 ships, and they captured 2,283 enemy ships.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/privateer.htm Privateers].</ref> Between the end of the Revolutionary War and 1812, less than 30 years, Britain, France, Naples, the Barbary States, Spain, and the Netherlands seized approximately 2,500 American ships.<ref>[http://orbat.com/site/history/historical/usa/usn1812.html US Navy Fleet List War of 1812].</ref> Payments in ransom and tribute to the [[Barbary states]] amounted to 20% of United States government annual revenues in 1800.<ref>{{cite web|last=Oren|first=Michael B.|title=The Middle East and the Making of the United States, 1776 to 1815|date=2005-11-03|url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/05/11/michaelOren.html| accessdate=2007-02-18}}</ref> Throughout the American Civil War, [[Confederate privateer]]s successfully harassed Union merchant ships.<ref>[http://www.sc.edu/uscpress/1994/3005.html The Confederate Privateers].</ref> Privateering lost international sanction under the [[Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law|Declaration of Paris]] in 1856. ==Modern age== {{seealso|Piracy in Somalia|Piracy in the Strait of Malacca}} ===Overview=== [[File:Dhow in Indian Ocean.jpg|thumb|left|250px|A modern [[dhow]] suspected of piracy]] Seaborne piracy against transport vessels remains a significant issue (with estimated worldwide losses of [[United States dollar|US $]]13 to $16 billion per year),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20041101faessay83606/gal-luft-anne-korin/terrorism-goes-to-sea.html |title=Foreign Affairs - Terrorism Goes to Sea |accessdate=2007-12-08 |work= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/BG1379.cfm?renderforprint=1 |title=Piracy in Asia: A Growing Barrier to Maritime Trade |accessdate=2007-12-08 |format= |work= }}</ref> particularly in the waters between the Red Sea and [[Indian Ocean]], off the [[Somalia|Somali]] coast, and also in the [[Strait of Malacca]] and [[Singapore]], which are used by over 50,000 commercial ships a year. A recent<ref>{{cite web | title= U.S. Navy warships exchange gunfire with suspected pirates off Somali coast | url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002874180_websomalia19.html?syndication=rss | dateformat=mdy | accessdate=January 18, 2007 }}</ref> surge in piracy off the Somali coast spurred a multi-national effort led by the [[United States]] to patrol the waters near the [[Horn of Africa]]. While ships off the coasts of North Africa, [[Iran]] and the [[Mediterranean Sea]] are still assailed by pirates, the [[United States Navy]] and the [[U.S. Coast Guard]] have nearly eradicated piracy in U.S. waters and in the [[Caribbean Sea]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}} Modern pirates favor small boats and taking advantage of the small number of crew members on modern cargo vessels. They also use large vessels to supply the smaller attack/boarding vessels. Modern pirates can be successful because a large amount of international commerce occurs via shipping. Major shipping routes take cargo ships through narrow bodies of water (such as the [[Gulf of Aden]] and the [[Strait of Malacca]]) making them vulnerable to be overtaken and boarded by small [[motorboat]]s.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2008/03/080303_pirates_prog2.shtml BBC Piracy documentary].</ref><ref>[http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ar120/somalia.html Piracy at Somalian coasts].</ref> Other active areas include the [[South China Sea]] and the [[Niger Delta]]. As usage increases, many of these ships have to lower cruising speeds to allow for navigation and traffic control, making them prime targets for piracy. Small ships are also capable of disguising themselves as fishing vessels or cargo vessels when not carrying out piracy in order to avoid or deceive inspectors.{{Facts|date=April 2008}} Also, pirates often operate in regions of developing or struggling countries with smaller navies and large trade routes. Pirates sometimes evade capture by sailing into waters controlled by their pursuer's enemies. With the end of the [[Cold War]], navies have decreased size and patrol, and trade has increased, making organized piracy far easier. Modern pirates are sometimes linked with organized-crime syndicates, but often are parts of small individual groups. Pirate attack crews may consist of 4 to 10 sailors for going after a ship's safe (raiding) or up to 70 (depending entirely on the ships and the ships crew size) if the plan is to seize the whole vessel.{{Facts|date=April 2008}} The [[International Maritime Bureau]] (IMB) maintains statistics regarding pirate attacks dating back to 1995. Their records indicate hostage-taking overwhelmingly dominates the types of violence against seafarers. For example in 2006, there were 239 attacks, 77 crew members were kidnapped and 188 taken hostage but only 15 of the pirate attacks resulted in murder.<ref>[http://www.securitymanagement.com/article/eastern-inscrutability-piracy-high-seas Security Management:Piracy on the high seas] Accessed on October 23, 2007.</ref> In 2007 the attacks rose by 10% to 263 attacks. There was a 35% increase on reported attacks involving guns. Crew members that were injured numbered 64 compared to just 17 in 2006.<ref name=ICC_piracy_report>[http://www.icc-ccs.org/main/news.php?newsid=102 ICC Commercial Crime Services: IBM Piracy Report 2007] Accessed on January 22, 2008.</ref> That number does not include hostages/kidnapping where they were not injured. The number of attacks within the first nine months of 2009 have already surpassed last year’s due to the increased pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia. Between January and September the number of attacks rose to 306 from 293. The pirates boarded the vessels in 114 cases and hijacked 34 of them so far in 2009. Gun use in pirate attacks has gone up to 176 cases from 76 last year.<ref>[http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvd4QSDb-PaSYhIQlkyM8gcykpLgD9BFC6880 World pirate attacks surge in 2009 due to Somalia]</ref> In some cases, modern pirates are not interested in the cargo and are mainly interested in taking the personal belongings of the crew and the contents of the ship's safe, which might contain large amounts of cash needed for payroll and port fees. In other cases, the pirates force the crew off the ship and then sail it to a port to be repainted and given a new identity through false papers often purchased from corrupt or complicit officials.<ref>"Anarchy at Sea" Atlantic Monthly. September, 2003.</ref> Modern piracy can also take place in conditions of political unrest. For example, following the U.S. withdrawal from [[Vietnam]], Thai piracy was aimed at the many Vietnamese who took to boats to escape. Further, following the disintegration of the government of [[Somalia]], [[warlord]]s in the region have attacked ships delivering [[United Nations|UN]] food aid.<ref>{{cite web | title=Pirates Open Fire on Cruise Ship off Somalia | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/05/AR2005110500622.html?nav=hcmodule | dateformat=mdy | accessdate=November 14, 2005 }}</ref> [[File:060318-N-8623S-002.jpg|thumb|250px|Armed suspected pirates in the [[Indian Ocean]] near [[Somalia]]]] Environmental action groups such as [[Sea Shepherd]] have been accused of engaging in piracy and terrorism when they ram them and throw [[butyric acid]] (rancid butter) on their decks, and in one instance illegally boarding a Japanese whaling vessel. While only non-lethal weapons are used by the Sea Shepherd ships, their tactics and methods are considered acts of piracy by some.<ref name="acid">{{cite news|title=Whaling acid attack terrorist act: Japan|publisher=Reuters via [[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=2007-02-09|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Whaling-acid-attack-terrorist-act-Japan/2007/02/09/1170524300133.html|accessdate=2007-02-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bousquet|first=Earl|title=Ocean Warriors Confront Lucian Fishermen|publisher=Government of [[Saint Lucia]] web site|date=2001-07-23|url=http://www.stlucia.gov.lc/pr2001/ocean_warriors_confront_lucian_fishermen.htm|accessdate=2007-02-11}}</ref> The attack against the U.S. cruise ship the ''[[The Seabourn Spirit|Seabourn Spirit]]'' offshore of Somalia in November 2005 is an example of the sophisticated pirates mariners face. The pirates carried out their attack more than {{convert|100|mi|km}} offshore with speedboats launched from a larger mother ship. The attackers were armed with automatic firearms and an [[Rocket-propelled grenade|RPG]].<ref>"Piracy is still troubling the shipping industry: report; Industry fears revival of attacks though current situation has improved," The Business Times Singapore. August 14, 2006.</ref> Many nations forbid ships to enter their territorial waters or ports if the crew of the ships are armed in an effort to restrict possible piracy.<ref>Maritimesecurity.com article, [http://www.maritimesecurity.com/gunsonboard.htm Guns On Board].</ref> Shipping companies sometimes hire private armed [[security guard]]s. Modern definitions of piracy include the following acts: * [[Boarding (attack)|Boarding]] * [[Extortion]] * [[Hostage taking]] * [[Kidnapping]] of people for [[ransom]] * [[Murder]] * [[Robbery]] * [[Sabotage]] resulting in the ship subsequently sinking * [[seizure (law)|Seizure]] of items or the ship * [[Shipwreck]]ing done intentionally to a ship In modern times, ships and airplanes are [[Aircraft hijacking|hijacked]] for political reasons as well. The perpetrators of these acts could be described as pirates (for instance, the French for "plane hijacker" is ''pirate de l'air'', literally "air pirate"), but in English are usually termed "hijackers". An example is the hijacking of the [[Italy|Italian]] civilian passenger ship ''[[Achille Lauro]]'', which is generally regarded as an act of piracy. Modern pirates also use a great deal of technology. It has been reported that crimes of piracy have involved the use of [[mobile phone]]s, [[Satellite phone]]s, [[Global Positioning System|GPS]], [[Sonar]] systems, modern [[speedboat]]s, [[Machete]]s, [[Combat knife]]s, [[assault rifles]], [[shotgun]]s, [[pistol]]s, mounted [[machine gun]]s, and even [[Rocket propelled grenade|RPGs]] and [[grenade launcher]]s. ===Recent incidents=== {{seealso|List of ships attacked by Somali pirates}} * During [[the Troubles]] in [[Northern Ireland]], [[Attacks on shipping in Lough Foyle (1981-1982)|two coaster ships were hijacked and sunk]] by the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]] in the span of one year, between February 1981 and February 1982. * In October 1985, the cruise ship ''[[Achille Lauro]]'' was hijacked off the coast of Egypt by terrorists from the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]]. The terrorists demanded the release of PLO operatives imprisoned in Israel. Following the Israelis' refusal, the terrorists shot and killed disabled Jewish American tourist [[Leon Klinghoffer]] and dumped his body overboard.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}} * A collision between the container ship ''Ocean Blessing'' and the hijacked tanker ''Nagasaki Spirit'' occurred in the [[Malacca Straits]] at about 23:20 on 19 September 1992. Pirates had boarded the ''Nagasaki Spirit'', removed its captain from command, set the ship on autopilot and left with the ship's master for a ransom. The ship was left going at full speed with no one at the wheel. The collision and resulting fire took the lives of all the sailors of Ocean Blessing; from Nagasaki Spirit there were only 2 survivors. The fire on the ''Nagasaki Spirit'' lasted for six days; the fire aboard the ''Ocean Blessing'' burned for six weeks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199697/ldjudgmt/jd970206/semco01.htm |title=House of Lords - Semco Salvage & Marine Pte. Ltd. v. Lancer Navigation |accessdate=2007-05-26 |author=Law Lords Department |date=1997-02-06 |work= |publisher=The Stationery Office Ltd |pages=1 }}</ref> * A Dutch motor tanker attacked outside the port of All Saints Bay in Brazil in November 1998. Multiple injuries.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} * The cargo ship ''[[Chang Song]]'' boarded and taken over by pirates posing as customs officials in the South China Sea in 1998. Entire crew of 23 was killed and their bodies thrown overboard. Six bodies were eventually recovered in fishing nets. A crackdown by the Chinese government resulted in the arrest of 38 pirates and the group's leader, a corrupt customs official, and 11 other pirates who were then executed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/622435.stm|title=China Executes Pirates | work=BBC News | date=January 28, 2000 | accessdate=January 6, 2010}}</ref> * The New Zealand environmentalist, yachtsman and public figure [[Peter Blake (yachtsman)|Sir Peter Blake]] was killed by Brazilian pirates in 2001.<ref>[http://www.latitude38.com/features/Blake.htm Latitude 38], the West's Leading Sailing and Marine Magazine]</ref> * Pirates boarded the supertanker ''Dewi Madrim'' in March 2003 in the [[Malacca Strait]]. Articles like those written by the [http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2102424 Economist] indicate the pirates did not focus on robbing the crew or cargo, but instead focused on learning how to steer the ship and stole only manuals and technical information. However, the [http://www.imo.org/includes/blastDataOnly.asp/data_id%3D7198/33.pdf original incident report submitted to the IMO by the IMB] would indicate these articles are incorrect and misleading. See also: [http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20050301faletter84267/charles-n-dragonette/lost-at-sea.html Letter to the Editor of Foreign Affairs]. * The American luxury liner ''[[The Seabourn Spirit]]'' was attacked by pirates in November 2005 off the Somalian coast. There was one injury to a crewmember; he was hit by shrapnel. * Pirates [[June 3, 2007 incident off Somalia|boarded]] the Danish bulk carrier [[Danica White]] in June 2007 near the coast of Somalia. ''[[USS Carter Hall (LSD-50)|USS Carter Hall]]'' tried to rescue the crew by firing several warning shots but wasn’t able to follow the ship into Somali waters.[http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-06-06-us-navy-pirates_N.htm] * In April 2008 pirates seized control of the French luxury yacht ''[[Le Ponant]]'' carrying 30 crew members off the coast of Somalia.<ref>{{cite news | author = AP | authorlink = Associated Press | title = Pirates seize French yacht | publisher = CNN | date = 2008-04-04 | url = http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/04/cruiseship.pirates.ap/index.html | accessdate = 2008-04-05}}</ref> The captives were released on payment of a ransom. The French military later captured some of the pirates, with the support of the provisional Somali government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7342292.stm |title=BBC NEWS &#124; World &#124; Africa &#124; France raid ship after crew freed |publisher=BBC News |date=April 12, 2008 |accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> On June 2, 2008, the [[United Nations]] [[Security Council]] passed a resolution enabling the patrolling of Somali waters following this and other incidents. The Security Council resolution provided permission for six months to states cooperating with Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to enter the country's territorial waters and use "all necessary means" to stop "piracy and armed robbery at sea, in a manner consistent with international law."<ref>{{cite news | author = UN | authorlink = United Nations | title = UN maritime agency welcomes Security Council action on Somalia piracy | publisher = United Nations | date = 2008-06-05 | url = http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26893&Cr=somalia&Cr1= | accessdate = 2008-06-05}}</ref> * Several more piracy incidents have occurred in 2008 including an [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] [[ship]], the [[MV Faina]], containing an [[Weapons|arms]] consignment for [[Kenya]], including tanks and other heavy weapons, which was possibly heading towards an area of Somalia controlled by the [[Islamic Courts Union]] (ICU) after its hijacking by [[pirates]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/09/20089271136100552.html |title=Al Jazeera English - Africa - "Somalia rebels" in control of ship |publisher=English.aljazeera.net |date= |accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> before anchoring off the Somali coast. The [[Piracy in Somalia|Somali pirates]]—in a standoff with US missile destroyer the ''[[USS Howard (DDG-83)|USS Howard]]''—asked for a $20 million ransom for the 20 crew members it held; shots were heard from the ship, supposedly because of a dispute between pirates who wanted to surrender and those who didn't.<ref>[http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/09/shooting-report.html Shooting reported on pirate ship surrounded by U.S. destroyer] Doug Stanglin, USA Today blog, September 30, 2008.</ref> In a separate incident, occurring near the same time (late September to early October), an Iranian cargo ship, [[MV Iran Deyanatship]], departing from China, was boarded by pirates off Somalia. The ship's cargo was a matter of dispute, though some pirates have apparently been sickened, lost hair, suffered burns, and even died while on the ship. Speculations of chemical or even radioactive contents have been made.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,430681,00.html Mysterious Cargo Aboard Iranian Ship Seized by Pirates Raises WMD Concerns] Joseph Abrams, September 30, 2008. Quotation by "Jonathan Tucker, a senior fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies": "It's baffling. I'm not aware of any chemical agent that produces loss of hair within a few days. That's more suggestive of high levels of radioactive waste."</ref> * On November 15, 2008, [[Piracy in Somalia|Somali pirates]] seized the supertanker [[MV Sirius Star]], 450 miles off the coast of [[Kenya]]. The ship was carrying around $100 million worth of oil and had a 25-man crew. This marked the largest tonnage vessel ever seized by pirates.<ref>{{cite web|author=Pirates seize another ship in Gulf of Aden By Andrew England in Cairo and Robert Wright in London and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington Published: November 17, 2008 13:11 | Last updated: November 18, 2008 16:26 |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e10892ba-b4a8-11dd-b780-0000779fd18c.html |title=FT.com / World - Pirates seize another ship in Gulf of Aden |publisher=Ft.com |date= |accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> * On April 8, 2009, Somali pirates briefly captured the [[MV Maersk Alabama]], a 17,000-ton cargo ship containing emergency relief supplies destined for Kenya. It was the latest in a week-long series of attacks along the Somali coast, and the first of these attacks to target a U.S.-flagged vessel. The crew took back control of the ship although the Captain was taken by the escaping pirates to a lifeboat <ref>{{cite web |date= April 11, 2009 |last= Roberts |first= Rebecca |authorlink= Rebecca Roberts |coauthors= Konrad, John |url= http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103001414 |title= Mariner Details Life Aboard Maersk Alabama Lifeboat |publisher= [[National Public Radio|NPR]] }}</ref>. On Sunday, April 12, 2009, [[Capt. Richard Phillips]] was rescued, reportedly in good condition, from his pirate captors who were shot and killed by [[United States Navy SEALs|US Navy SEAL]] [[sniper]]s.<ref name="CNN04120901">{{cite web |date= April 12, 2009 |last= Verjee |first= Zain |authorlink= Zain Verjee |coauthors= Starr, Barbara |url= http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/12/somalia.pirates/index.html |title= Captain jumps overboard, SEALs shoot pirates, official says |publisher= [[CNN]] |accessdate= April 12, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="BBC041209">{{cite web |date= April 12, 2009 |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7996087.stm |title= US captain held by pirates freed |publisher= [[BBC News]] |accessdate= April 14, 2009 }}</ref> Vice Admiral William E. Gortney reported the rescue began when [[Frank Castellano|Commander Frank Castellano]], captain of the ''Bainbridge'', determined that Phillips' life was in imminent danger and ordered the action. * In July 2009 [[Finland|Finnish]]-owned ship [[MV Arctic Sea]] sailing under [[Malta|Maltese]] flag was allegedly hijacked in the territorial waters of [[Sweden]] by a group of eight to ten pirates disguised as policemen. According to some sources, the pirates held the ship for 12 hours, went through the cargo and later released the ship and the crew.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=22434&group=General|title=Finnish ship hijacked off Swedish coast|date=2009-07-31|accessdate=2009-07-31}}</ref> However, an investigation into the incident is underway amidst speculation regarding the ship's actual cargo, allegations of cover-up by Russian authorities and [[Israel]]i involvement. Authorities estimate that only between 50%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uniorb.com/ATREND/piracy.htm |title=Sea Piracy |publisher=Uniorb.com |date= |accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Cindy Vallar |url=http://www.cindyvallar.com/modern2005.html |title=Pirates & Privateers: the History of Maritime Piracy - Modern Piracy 2005 update |publisher=Cindyvallar.com |date= |accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> to as low as 10%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cargolaw.com/presentations_pirates.html |title=Modern High Seas Piracy |publisher=Cargolaw.com |date= |accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> of pirate attacks are actually reported (so as not to increase [[insurance premium]]s). ===Successful attempts against piracy=== International ships equipped with helicopters patrol the waters where pirate activity has been reported, but the area is very large. Some ships are equipped with anti-piracy weaponry such as a sonic device that sends a sonic wave out to a directed target, creating a sound so powerful that it bursts the eardrums and shocks pirates, causing them to become disoriented enough to drop their weapons, while the vessel being pursued increases speed and engages in evasive maneuvering.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2961| date=November 30, 2008| title=Missing title}}</ref> *[[MS Nautica]], December 2008<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7760216.stm |title=Cruise ship evades pirate attack |date=December 2, 2008 BBC News}}</ref> *US-flagged [[Maersk Alabama]], April 2009<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0412/breaking2.html?via=mr |title= Captain freed unhurt, pirates killed. |date=April 12, 2009}}</ref> *[[Liberian]]-registered cargo ship, April 2009<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=91592&sectionid=351020501 |title=French forces seize pirates mother ship |publisher=Press TV| date=April 16, 2009}}</ref> *US-flagged [[MV Liberty Sun]], April 2009 <ref>US cargo ship evades Somali pirate attack. [[Associated Press]]</ref> *[[The Marshall Islands]]-flagged Handytankers Magic, April 2009 <ref>Pirates attack tanker; NATO frees 20 fishermen. [[Associated Press]], April 18, 2009</ref> ===Legal authority=== There are legal barriers to prosecuting individuals captured in international waters. Countries are struggling to apply existing maritime law, international law, and their own laws, which limits them to having jurisdiction over their own citizens. According to piracy experts, the goal is to "deter and disrupt" pirate activity, and pirates are often detained, interrogated, disarmed, and released. With millions of dollars at stake, pirates have little incentive to stop. Prosecutions are rare for several reasons. Modern laws against piracy are almost non-existent. For example, the Dutch are using a 17th-century law against "sea robbery" to prosecute. Warships that capture pirates have no jurisdiction to try them, and NATO does not have a detention policy in place. Prosecutors have a hard time assembling witnesses and finding translators, and countries are reluctant to imprison pirates because they would be saddled with them upon their release.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090418/ap_on_re_af/af_piracy |publisher=Associated Press |date=April 18, 2009 |title= NATO frees 20 hostages; pirates seize Belgian ship}}</ref> ===Self protection measures and increased patrol=== First and foremost, the best protection against piracy is simply to avoid encountering them. This can be done using the regular radar, as well as by using more advanced forms thereof (eg BAE Systems HF SWR, BAE Systems PRISM, ... )<ref>[http://www.marinebuzz.com/2009/09/09/bae-systems-reveal-anti-sea-piracy-systems/ Anti-piracy radar]</ref> In addition, while the non-wartime 20th century tradition has been for merchant vessels not to be armed, the U.S. Government has recently changed the rules so that it is now "best practice" for vessels to embark a team of armed private security guards.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126265833983415885.html "Loaded: Freighters Ready to Shoot Across Pirate Bow", by John W. Miller, [[Wall Street Journal]], January 5, 2009]</ref><ref>[http://maritimeaccident.org/2009/11/20/maersk-alabama-followed-best-practice/ "Maersk Alabama “Followed Best Practice”", by Bob Couttie, November 20, 2009, Maritime Accident Casebook]</ref> In addition, the crew themselves can be given a weapons training<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlPsHBUZ4_E Weapons training for crew]</ref>, and warning shots, less-lethal ammunition, ... can be fired legally in international waters and/or when sailing under Israeli or Russian flag. Finally, similar to weapons training, [[remote weapon system]]s can be implemented to a vessel. <ref>[http://kms1.isn.ethz.ch/serviceengine/Files/ISN/97573/ipublicationdocument_singledocument/6C7E0E93-39A7-4E9B-9067-F410E703EC57/en/RIEAS129P.pdf What can be done to counter piracy ?]</ref> Other measures vessels can take to protect themselves against piracy are implementing a high [[freewall]] <ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/05/piracy.hearing/index.html High wall providing extra protection]</ref> and [[vessel boarding protection system]]s (eg. hot water wall, electricity-charged water wall, automated fire monitor, slippery foam, ...<ref>[http://www.secure-marine.com/Waters/BROCHURE_Secure-Waters.pdf Hot/electricity charged water wall]</ref><ref>[http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/anti-pirate-weapons-piracy-somalia/ Anti-piracy weapons]</ref>). Finally, in emergency situations, warships can be called upon. In some areas such as [[Piracy_in_Somalia|near Somalia]], naval vessels from different nations are present that are able to intercept vessels attacking merchant vessels. For patrolling dangerous coastal waters (and/or keeping financial expenses down),[[robotic]] or [[remote-controlled]] USV's are also sometimes used.<ref>[http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/robotics/4229443.html Robotic/remote-controlled USV's]</ref> Also, both shore-launched and vessel-launched UAV's are also used by the army.<ref>[http://www.naval-technology.com/features/feature62615/ Vessel-launched UAV's]</ref><ref>[http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64448 Shore-launched UAV's]</ref> ==Commerce raiders== A wartime activity similar to piracy involves disguised [[warship]]s called [[commerce raider]]s or [[merchant raider]]s, which attack enemy shipping commerce, approaching by stealth and then opening fire. Commerce raiders operated successfully during the [[American Revolution]]. During the [[American Civil War]], the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] sent out several commerce raiders, the most famous of which was the [[CSS Alabama|CSS ''Alabama'']]. During [[World War I]] and [[World War II]], [[Germany]] also made use of these tactics, both in the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and [[Indian Ocean]]s. Since commissioned naval vessels were openly used, these commerce raiders should not be considered even privateers, much less pirates—although the opposing combatants were vocal in denouncing them as such. {{seealso|Ruse de guerre}} ==In international law== ===Effects on international boundaries=== During the 18th century, the [[United Kingdom|British]] and the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] controlled opposite sides of the [[Straits of Malacca]]. Some pirates carried on activities similar to armed rebellion with the aim of resisting the colonisers{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}. In order to put a stop to this, the British and the Dutch drew a line separating the Straits into two halves. The agreement was that each party would be responsible for combating piracy in their respective half. Eventually this line became the border between [[Malaysia]] and [[Indonesia]] in the Straits. ===Law of nations=== Piracy is of note in [[international law]] as it is commonly held to represent the earliest invocation of the concept of [[universal jurisdiction]]. The crime of piracy is considered a breach of ''[[jus cogens]]'', a conventional peremptory international norm that states must uphold. Those committing thefts on the [[International waters|high seas]], inhibiting [[trade]], and endangering maritime communication are considered by sovereign states to be ''[[hostis humani generis]]'' (enemies of [[All humanity|humanity]]).<ref name=HK-2001>{{cite news|authorlink=Henry Kissinger|last=Kissinger|first=Henry|url=http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20010701faessay4996/henry-a-kissinger/the-pitfalls-of-universal-jurisdiction.html|title=The Pitfalls of Universal Jurisdiction|publisher=[[Foreign Affairs]]|date= July/August 2001}}</ref> For a different opinion on Pirates as Hostis Humani Generis see Caninas, Osvaldo Peçanha. [http://convention2.allacademic.com/one/isa-abri/meeting09/index.php?cmd=Download+Document&key=unpublished_manuscript&file_index=2&pop_up=true&no_click_key=true&attachment_style=attachment&PHPSESSID=c13d67c39b3cf83c343bb7c0bb4e905e Modern Maritime Piracy: History, Present Situation and Challenges to International Law]. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the ISA - ABRI JOINT INTERNATIONAL MEETING, Pontifical Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro Campus (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jul 22, 2009 In the United States, criminal prosecution of piracy is authorized in the [[Article I of the United States Constitution#Section 8: Powers of Congress|U.S. Constitution, Art. I Sec. 8 cl. 10]]: <blockquote> The Congress shall have Power ... To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations; </blockquote> In English [[admiralty law]], piracy was defined as petit [[treason]] during the medieval period, and offenders were accordingly liable to be [[drawn and quartered]] on conviction. Piracy was redefined as a [[felony]] during the reign of [[Henry VIII]]. In either case, piracy cases were cognizable in the courts of the [[Admiralty|Lord High Admiral]]. English admiralty [[Vice admiralty court|vice-admiralty]] judges emphasized that "neither Faith nor Oath is to be kept" with pirates; i.e. contracts with pirates and oaths sworn to them were not legally binding. Pirates were legally subject to [[summary execution]] by their captors if captured in battle. In practice, instances of summary justice and annulment of oaths and contracts involving pirates do not appear to have been common. Since piracy often takes place outside the [[territorial waters]] of any state, the prosecution of pirates by sovereign states represents a complex legal situation. The prosecution of pirates on the high seas contravenes the conventional freedom of the high seas. However, because of [[universal jurisdiction]], action can be taken against pirates without objection from the flag state of the pirate vessel. This represents an exception to the principle ''[[extra territorium jus dicenti impune non paretur]]'' (the judgment of one who is exceeding his territorial jurisdiction may be disobeyed with impunity).<ref>''Black's Law Dictionary''.</ref> In 2008 the British [[Foreign Office]] advised the Royal Navy not to detain pirates of certain nationalities as they might be able to claim asylum in Britain under [[Human Rights Act 1998|British human rights legislation]], if their national laws included execution, or mutilation as a judicial punishment for crimes committed as pirates.<ref>{{cite news |first=Marie |last=Woolf |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3736239.ece |title=Pirates can claim UK asylum [[The Sunday Times]], April 13, 2008 |date= |accessdate=2009-04-22 |publisher=}}</ref> ===International conventions === ====UNCLOS Article 101: Definition ==== In the [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]] (UNCLOS) of 1982, "maritime piracy" consists of: :(a) any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed: ::(i) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft; ::(ii) against a ship, aircraft, persons or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any State; :(b) any act of voluntary participation in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft; :(c) any act of inciting or of intentionally facilitating an act described in subparagraph (a) or (b).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part7.htm|title=United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 10 December 1982, Part VII: High Seas, Article 101}}</ref> ====IMB Definition ==== The [[International Maritime Bureau]] (IMB) defines piracy as: :the act of boarding any vessel with an intent to commit theft or any other crime, and with an intent or capacity to use force in furtherance of that act.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cargolaw.com/presentations_pirates.html#what_piracy|title=cargolaw.com}}</ref> ==In popular culture== {{main|List of fictional pirates|Pirates in popular culture}} <table><tr><td style="vertical-align:top;"> [[File:Black-Beard.jpg|left|thumb|upright|"Mic the Scallywag" of the Pirates of Emerson Haunted Adventure Fremont, CA.]] [[File:Piratey, vector version.svg|thumb|This image shows many of the characteristics commonly associated with a stereotypical pirate in popular culture, such as a [[parrot]], [[peg leg]], [[Prosthetic hook|hook]], [[cutlass]], [[bicorne hat]], [[Jolly Roger]], [[Royal Navy]] jacket, bad teeth, maniacal grin, earrings, beard, and [[Eyepatch|eye patch]].]] Pirates are a frequent topic in fiction and are associated with certain [[stereotypical]] manners of speaking and dress, some of them wholly fictional: "nearly all our notions of their behavior come from the golden age of fictional piracy, which reached its zenith in 1881 with the appearance of [[Robert Louis Stevenson]]'s ''[[Treasure Island]]''."<ref>Adams, C. "The Straight Dope", October 12, 2007 [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071012.html The Straight Dope - Fighting Ignorance Since 1973]</ref> Some inventions of pirate culture such as "[[walking the plank]]" were popularized by [[J. M. Barrie]]'s novel, ''[[Peter Pan]]'', where [[Captain Hook]]'s pirates helped define the fictional pirate [[archetype]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|last=Bonanos |first=Christopher |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2167567/?GT1=10135 |title=Did pirates really say "arrrr"? - By Christopher Bonanos - Slate Magazine |publisher=Slate.com |date= |accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> [[Robert Newton]]'s portrayal of [[Long John Silver]] in [[Walt Disney Pictures|Disney's]] [[Treasure Island (1950 film)|1950 film adaptation]] of ''[[Treasure Island]]'' also helped define the modern rendition of a pirate, including the stereotypical "pirate" accent.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Other influences include ''[[Sinbad the Sailor]]'', and the recent ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' [[Pirates of the Caribbean films|films]] have helped kindle modern interest in piracy and have succeeded quite handsomely in box office grosses. The classic [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] [[operetta]] ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'' focuses on The Pirate King and his hopeless band of pirates on the South coast of England. The Pirate King is often believed to be inspiration for [[Jack Sparrow]]. One of the stereotypical features of a pirate, the [[Eyepatch|eye patch]], dates back to the Arab pirate [[Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalahimah]] who wore it after losing an eye in battle in the 18th century{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}. Pirates are also common mascots and names of sports teams. ==See also== {{portal}} *''[[A General History of the Pyrates]]'', a historical book on pirates *[[Aircraft hijacking]], aka air piracy *[[Air Pirates]] *[[International Talk Like a Pirate Day]] *[[List of pirates]] *[[Pirate game]] *[[Pirate Party]]/[[Pirate Party International]] *[[Pirate Round]] *[[Pirate utopia]] *[[Pirate's World]] *[[Pirates versus Ninjas]] *[[Software piracy]] *[[Spanish treasure fleet]] *''[[The Successful Pyrate]]'', a historical play *[[Women in piracy]] *[[List of pirates}} == References == ===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} * {{cite web | title=bonaventure.org.uk - Pirate Ranks | url=http://www.bonaventure.org.uk/ed/ranks.htm | dateformat=mdy | accessdate=April 24, 2008 }} <!-- Dead note "archives.cnn.com.321": {{cite web | title=CNN.com - U.S. Navy fires on small boats thought to be pirates - [[May 3]], [[2002]] | url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/05/03/navy.pirate.attack/ | dateformat=mdy | accessdate=November 14, 2005 }} --> <!-- Dead note "www.cnn.com.322": {{cite web | title=CNN.com - Cruise ship 'used sonic weapon' - [[November 8]], [[2005]] | url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/11/07/somalia.pirates.sonic.ap/index.html | dateformat=mdy | accessdate=November 14, 2005 }} --> * {{cite book | first=Clifford| last=Beal| year=2007| title=Quelch's Gold: Piracy, Greed, and Betrayal in Colonial New England | chapter= | editor= | others= | page=243 | publisher=Praeger| isbn=0-275-99407-4 | url= | authorlink= }} * {{cite book | first=John | last=Burnett | year=2002 | title=Dangerous Waters: Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas | chapter= | editor= | others= | page=346 | publisher=Plume | isbn=0-452-28413-9 | url= | authorlink= }} * {{cite book | first=Samuel | last=Menefee | year=1996 | title=Trends in Maritime Violence | chapter= | editor= | others= |pages= | publisher=Jane's Information Group | isbn=0-7106-1403-9 |url= | authorlink= }} * {{cite book | first=Nigel | last=Cawthorne | year=2004 | title=History of Pirates: Blood and Thunder on the High Seas | chapter= | editor= | others= | pages= | publisher=Book Sales | isbn=0-7858-1856-1 | url= | authorlink= }} * {{cite book | first=David| last=Cordingly | year=1997 | title=Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates | chapter= | editor= | others= | pages= | publisher=Harvest Books | isbn=0-15-600549-2 | url= | authorlink= }} * {{cite book | first=Geoffrey| last=Girard| year=2006 | title=Tales of the Atlantic Pirates | chapter= | editor= | others= | pages= | publisher=Middle Atlantic Press | isbn=0-9754419-5-7 | url= | authorlink= }} * {{cite book | first=William | last=Langewiesche | year=2004 | title=The Outlaw Sea: A World of Freedom, Chaos, and Crime | chapter= | editor= | others= | pages= | publisher=North Point Press | isbn=0-86547-581-4 | url= | authorlink= }} * {{cite book | first=Marcus | last=Rediker | year=1987 | title=Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Merchant Seamen, Pirates and the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1700-1750 | chapter= | editor= | others= | pages= | publisher=Cambridge University Press | isbn=0-521-37983-0 | url= | authorlink= }} * {{cite book | first=Steve | last=Kimball | year=2006 | title=The Pyrates Way Magazine | chapter= | editor= | others= | page=64 | publisher=The Pyrates Way, LLC | id= | url=http://www.pyratesway.com | authorlink= }} {{refend}} ===Further reading=== *''I Sailed With Chinese Pirates'' by [[Aleko Lilius]], [[Oxford University Press]], USA, October 17, 1991,ISBN 0195852974. *''Contemporary Maritime Piracy in Southeast Asia''. By: Chalk, Peter. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, January-March 1998, Vol. 21 Issue 1, p87, 26p, 1 chart; (AN 286864). *''Dangerous Waters, Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas'', by John S. Burnett. Dutton, 2003, Plume, 2003–2004, New York. (ISBN 0-452-28413-9). *''Japanese Anti-Piracy Initiatives in Southeast Asia''. By: Bradford, John. Contemporary Southeast Asia, December 2004, Vol. 26 Issue 3, p480-505, 26p; (AN 15709264). *''Maritime Piracy and Anti-Piracy Measures''. By: Herrmann, Wilfried. Naval Forces, 2004, Vol. 25 Issue 2, p18-25, 6p; (AN 13193917). *''Maritime Piracy in Southeast Asia''. By: Liss, Carolin. Southeast Asian Affairs, 2003, p52, 17p; (AN 10637324). *''Modern Piracy''. Naval Forces, 2005, Vol. 26 Issue 5, p20-31, 7p; (AN 18506590). *''Terror on the High Seas''. By: Koknar, Ali. Security Management, June 2004, Vol. 48 Issue 6, p75-81, 6p; (AN 13443749) *Goodman, Timothy H. 'Leaving the Corsair's name to other times:' How to enforce the law of sea piracy in the 21st century through regional international agreements / Timothy H. Goodman In: Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, vol.31 (Winter 1999) nr.1, P.: 139-168. *''Piracy:Out of Sight, Out of Mind?'', Goorangai, RANR Occasional Papers, August (2006) [https://www.navy.gov.au/reserves/files/GoorangaiVol2Number3.pdf. Royal Australian Navy] *''Modern Maritime Piracy: History, Present Situation and Challenges to International Law'', Paper presented at the annual meeting of the ISA - ABRI Joint Internation Meeting, [[Pontifical Catholic University]], Rio de Janeiro Campus (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 22, 2009. [http://convention2.allacademic.com/one/isa-abri/meeting09/index.php?cmd=Download+Document&key=unpublished_manuscript&file_index=2&pop_up=true&no_click_key=true&attachment_style=attachment&PHPSESSID=c13d67c39b3cf83c343bb7c0bb4e905e All Academic Inc.] ===Notes=== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== {{commonscat|Piracy|Piracy}} {{wikinews|Pirate attacks bring UN aid to Somalia to a halt}} * Archibugi, Chiarugi [http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/piracy-challenges-global-governance Piracy Challenges Global Governance], [[Open Democracy]]. * Kontorovich, Eugene. [http://www.globallawforum.org/ViewPublication.aspx?ArticleId=96 Piracy and International Law], [Global Law Forum]. * [http://www.pir8s.net/ Subversive underground movement PIR8S] * [http://www.hcss.nl/en/column/672/Turbulent-Waters-in-a-Maritime-Black-Hole-.html Turbulent Waters in a Maritime Black Hole] [[The Hague]] Centre for Strategic Studies, May 2008. * [http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime/?epi_menuItemID=3e37041ec7a4546e36890127d32020a0&epi_menuID=e106a3b5e50edce1fec24fd73927a759&epi_baseMenuID=e106a3b5e50edce1fec24fd73927a759 ONI Worldwide Threats to Shipping Reports, Weekly]. * [http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php IMB Piracy Reporting Center Weekly Piracy Report]. * [http://www.imo.org/dynamic/mainframe.asp?topic_id=362 Piracy and armed robbery against ships] (International Maritime Organization). * [http://www.eunavfor.eu European Union Naval Force Somalia - Operation Atalanta] The European Union is conducting a military operation to help combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden. * [http://www.sedwickcoins.com/shipwreck_histories/consolacion.htm Pirated Spanish Galleon of La Consolación] (“Isla de Muerto shipwreck”) 1681. * [http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/malacca-strait-pirates/pirates-text National Geographic article on modern pirates in Malacca Straits]. * [http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1861/july/pirates.htm M. Biard's 1861 drawing of Pirates], published in ''[[Harper's Weekly]]''. * [http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime/?epi_menuItemID=3e37041ec7a4546e36890127d32020a0&epi_menuID=e106a3b5e50edce1fec24fd73927a759&epi_baseMenuID=e106a3b5e50edce1fec24fd73927a759 ONI Worldwide Threats to Shipping Reports, Weekly]. * [http://www.maritimeterrorism.com Maritime Terrorism Research Center]. * [http://www.ensec.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=180:maritime-piracy-implications-for-maritime-energy-security&catid=92:issuecontent&Itemid=341 Maritime Piracy: Implications for Maritime Energy Security]. * [http://www.ensec.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=188:maritime-security-aamp-counter-piracy-stragegic-adaptation-and-technological-options&catid=94:0409content&Itemid=342 Maritime Security & Counter-Piracy: Strategic Adaptations and Technological Options]. * Jameson, John Franklin. {{gutenberg|no=24882|name=Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents}}. * [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/11/somali-pirates-london-intelligence/print Monday 11 May 2009, Giles Tremlett, Somali pirates guided by London intelligence team, report says @guardian.co.uk] - Document obtained by Spanish radio station says 'well-placed informers' in constant contact by satellite telephone {{Pirates}} [[Category:Piracy|*]] [[Category:Pirates|*]] [[Category:Greek loanwords]] [[Category:Illegal occupations]] [[Category:International criminal law]] <!-- interwiki --> {{Link FA|es}} {{Link FA|hr}} {{Link FA|mk}} [[ar:قرصنة]] [[ast:Piratería]] [[az:Dəniz quldurluğu]] [[be:Пірацтва]] [[bs:Pirati]] [[bg:Пиратство]] [[ca:Pirateria marítima]] [[cs:Pirát]] [[cy:Môr-ladrad]] [[da:Pirat]] [[de:Piraterie]] [[el:Πειρατεία]] [[es:Piratería]] [[eo:Pirato]] [[fr:Pirate]] [[gl:Piratería]] [[ko:해적]] [[hr:Pirati]] [[id:Perompakan]] [[it:Pirateria]] [[he:שודד ים]] [[la:Pirata]] [[lt:Piratavimas]] [[mk:Пиратство]] [[nl:Zeerover]] [[ja:海賊]] [[no:Pirat]] [[nn:Sjørøvar]] [[oc:Pirata]] [[pl:Pirat]] [[pt:Pirata]] [[ro:Pirat]] [[ru:Пиратство]] [[sk:Pirát (námorný lupič)]] [[sl:Gusar]] [[sr:Гусари]] [[fi:Merirosvous]] [[sv:Sjöröveri]] [[th:โจรสลัด]] [[tr:Korsan]] [[uk:Піратство]] [[vi:Cướp biển]] [[zh:海盗]]

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