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 Far from being consigned to adventure books and Hollywood blockbusters, piracy is a thriving phenomenon off the coast of Somalia. The lawlessness of the country has allowed fishermen to repeatedly hijack commercial ships and claim million dollar ransoms in the Gulf of Aden. The most recent attack saw the capture of Sirius Star, a Saudi vessel carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, and prompted a $25 million ransom. In an area of vast seas off the coast of a lawless state, piracy activities are low risk and give high returns.

The piracy problem undoubtedly needs an across-the-board solution which incorporates economic and geo-political initiatives from both Somalia and the international community. But what should the priorities be? We want to know what strategies you think should take precedence. Here is a list of possible courses of action.

A. ACTION AT SEA

1. Increase EU Naval Patrols

The countries of the world that possess quality navies should maintain a constant presence along the coast and increase the number of patrolling warships. Naval anti-pirate patrols with the capacity to use force are needed. The EU recently began anti-piracy “Operation Atalanta” along these lines, with a mandate for “deterrence, prevention and intervention.” Provisions for arrest and detention of pirates in EU countries should be expanded and clarified.

2. Action from NATO

An aggressive military NATO initiative would reap better results than a maiden EU naval operation. NATO has the experience and capacity to better deal with the logistical difficulties of the huge area involved, as well as a clearer mandate to use military means. Decoy vessels that look like normal transport vehicles, loaded with explosives and specialist armed crews and escape boats could patrol the waters

3. Arm Merchant Ships

Merchant ships should be armed with weapons. This would be preferable to relying on a centralized naval patrol. Private contractors with expertise in the field could be hired on-board to provide security. Increasing ship speeds would also allow ships to outrun pirates, thus giving them the capacity to defend themselves from hijack attacks.

4. Clarify Legal Issues

The international community needs to address the legal difficulties which surround high seas piracy before naval patrols or military activity can be effective. The current UN mandate does not give the international fleet permission to seize hijacked ships in order to free hostages. The UN must begin by clarifying the legal position of anti-piracy operations; then more aggressive action can be taken to better effect.

B. ACTION ON LAND

5. Recognize Somali Breakaway States

The warlords who enable this banditry need to be tackled. The most effectual means of doing this would be to recognize the quasi-states of Puntland and Somaliland where the majority of pirates hail from. Recognition from the international community would strengthen the government institutions here. In exchange, the warlords of these states would have to actively root out pirates in their territory.

6. Pursue Pirates On Land

Concerted and aggressive efforts from the international community to locate and punish pirate networks on land are needed. The chaotic state of Somali poses significant barriers to gaining accurate intelligence; efforts should be made to overcome these, involving cooperation with local factions if necessary. An aggressive approach on land would tackle the low-risk nature of Somali piracy and act as both a deterrent and a remedy.

7. Bring in the United Nations

UN peacekeeping troops should be deployed in Somalia. The country should be rebuilt as a provisional UN protectorate to eliminate the causes of and opportunities for piracy. The African Union Commission chief Jean Ping has urged UN peace forces to intervene. Ground troops would provide a bolster to the sanctions the UN has imposed aimed at reducing arms flow into the country. Somalia must become a functional state again before there can be any end in site for piracy.

8. Address Pirates' Grievances

Many pirates insist that they are in fact providing a civilian "coast guard" service for their countrymen by deterring illegal fishing in their waters. Since the government’s collapse in 1991, foreign fishing vessels have been plundering the tuna-rich Somali waters. The pirates, many of whom are themselves fishermen, are in need of alternative employment. The international community could acknowledge their grievances and employ their services in the next Johnny Depp movie.

Please choose up to two measures which you think should be the priority. Should you have other suggestions not covered in the poll, please discuss them below.

Prepared and written by Eimear O'Casey