Navy chiefs ask for help to curb piracy

ABU DHABI // The threat of piracy is likely to dominate discussions as senior naval officials from more than 30 countries begin a three-day conference today in Abu Dhabi to deal with pressing maritime security issues. The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium is an initiative of the Indian Navy and was first held in New Delhi in 2008. Participants include nations from Australia, Mozambique, Sudan, Indonesia and all the GCC states. Countries with bases in the region, such as Britain, the US and France, are also participating.

The conference aims to boost co-operation across the region. Brig Ibrahim al Musharakh, commander of the UAE Navy, is to address delegates today. In an interview last month, Brig al Musharakh spoke of the need for closer regional co-operation to tackle piracy, which, he said, threatened the UAE directly by disrupting its trade routes and putting its vessels at risk. The commander argued that the Gulf navies should play more of a leading role in the security of surrounding oceans, but that "co-operation is essential".

Piracy attacks off Somalia doubled in 2009 and Mustafa Alani, the senior adviser for security and terrorism at the Dubai-based Gulf Research Centre, said: "The objective of this sort of meeting is to say that this is an international problem, and there is a need for co-operation in terms of information exchange and physical co-operation. "The problem we are now facing is that despite the physical measures taken to counter piracy, despite UN Security Council resolutions and co-operation on every level, the pirates are still doing a good job. This is becoming an international crisis affecting energy supplies, trade routes and the safety of crews."

Vice Admiral William Gortney, the commander of the United States' Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, will address delegates today on "strategies for co-operative action". Tomorrow, Admiral Agus Suhartono, the Indonesian Navy chief of staff, Vice Admiral Bruno Nielly, the commander of the French Joint Forces in the Indian Ocean, and Vice Admiral Russell Crane, the Australian Navy's chief of staff, will speak on piracy.

Dr Alani said it remains important to discuss other issues of maritime security, which are increasingly neglected. "Piracy is an immediate issue," he said, "but it shouldn't take the light from other maritime criminal acts like human trafficking and drug trafficking." [e-mail]