Piracy in the IOR

• Context (TH): INS Chennai successfully averted hijacking a merchant vessel near the Somalian coast.
• Somalia, with a history of civil war and poor territorial protection, remains a hotspot for maritime piracy.

Maritime Piracy

• The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) defines maritime piracy as kidnapping, violence, or robbery on a private boat or ship for personal gain.

UNCLOS, an international treaty, was adopted and signed in 1982 in Jamaica. It governs law, order, and ocean resource appropriation in the world’s oceans.

Impacts of maritime piracy

• Physical Harm, Kidnapping and Associated Humanitarian Concerns result in trauma and accidents.
• Delays in consignments and economic losses lead to global effects.
• Targeting fishing vessels affects the livelihoods of fishermen and the availability of seafood.
• Piracy is part of a worldwide organised crime network leading to the financing of illegal activities.

Steps to Counter Maritime Piracy

• The Indian Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) and Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) work in maritime security.
• The Maritime Anti-Piracy Act of 2022 was legislated to give effect to arrest and prosecute pirates and strengthen the fight against piracy.
• The SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative provides a framework for maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.
• Indian Ocean Naval Symposium is an initiative to increase maritime cooperation among the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), an intergovernmental organisation, works for maritime security in the Indian Ocean.
• The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations developing and adopting international regulations and standards for maritime safety.

INS Chennai

• INS Chennai (D65) is the third and last ship of the Kolkata-class stealth-guided missile destroyers of the Indian Navy.
• It was constructed by the Mazagaon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
• INS Chennai can carry the supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface missile system.

MARCOS

• The Marine Commandos (MARCOS), officially called the Marine Commando Force (MCF), are the special forces of the Indian Navy.
• MARCOS was founded in 1987. MARCOS can operate in all environments: at sea, in air and on land.
• The MARCOS also regularly undertake specialised maritime operations in Jammu and Kashmir through the Jhelum River and Wular Lake.