From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
-
Piracy is robbery
committed at sea, or sometimes the shore, by an agent without a commission
from a sovereign
nation. One
who commits piracy by engaging in robbery, pillaging, or plundering at sea is
known as a pirate. Seaborne piracy against transport vessels remains a
significant issue (with estimated worldwide losses of US$13
to $16 billion per year[1]),
particularly in the waters between the Pacific
and Indian
Oceans, off the Somali
coast, and in the Strait
of Malacca and Singapore,
which are used by over 50,000 commercial ships a year. A recent 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 to combat piracy. While boats off the coasts of South
America and the Mediterranean
Sea are still assailed by pirates, the advent of the United
States Coast Guard has nearly eradicated piracy in American waters and the
Caribbean
Sea. The Jolly
Roger is the traditional flag
of European and American pirates.
