UK to permit armed guards on Red Ensign vessels
07/11/2011
Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that British ships skirting the coast of Somalia will be able to carry armed guards as a way of protecting against piracy in the region. The home secretary will now be permitted to issue licenses to ships flying the red ensign for guards carrying weapons to sail on board.
According to the government, no ship with armed security has ever been taken by pirates. Around 200 vessels sailing under the merchant navy flag travel close to the shores of Somalia. It is estimated that under the new regulations, half will request permission to have armed guards among the crew.
It is hoped that the new rules will deter Somali pirates currently operating in approximately three million square miles of ocean, an area which is stretching the resources of the navy patrols. There are however worries that the presence of guards will simply encourage the pirates to use heavier weapons and greater fire power.
Previously, the government has been committed to discouraging guards with weapons travelling on British ships. The increase of acts of piracy in areas such as the Gulf of Aden and that Red Sea seems to have prompted a reversal of this position. Mr Cameron said that something had to be done to prevent the continuing hijacking and ransom of vessels off the east coast of Africa.
The new rules have been welcomed by the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents around 80% of the merchant shipping on the seas.