Many of the ship owners are hiring armed guards to protect the crews and the ship.
You don't hear about the hijacking attempts that failed due to the pirates getting the surprise of their life when someone on the ship opens up with a machine gun!
DIS,
the information you suppied in this post is mainly UNTRUE in the gulf off somalia.
International maritime laws, Admiralty laws, Sea of Laws PREVENT merchant ships from arming its crews because many of the ports in the areas DO NOT ALLOW ARMED ships in the ports.
Ships can have a MASTER of ARMS onboard, but any and all weapons must be locked in a safe and only the MASTER of ARMS can get to the weapons.
In most cases, the pirates involved are only after the SAFES that hold the ships money, this money is insured and the crews are instructed by the countries that flag the ships to give up the money without a struggle.
In cases where the ships are not carrying money, the ships are then held for ransom. The crews are instructed to NOT FIGHT as the ship, cargo and possessions are insured and NO FIGHT is necessary.
Merchant ships are NOT required to have arms training or weapons onboard.
The majority of maritime ports DO NOT ALLOW merchant ships with armed personel to dock and the coast guards of all countries will board and inspect for weapons.
In the case of somalia, this is a country of lawlesss fishermen, there is NO COAST guard to prevent the pirates from venturing out to sea and robbing ships.
So, there are NO CASES where the pirates are getting the "surprise of their lives" off the somalia coast, contrary to what you posted.
International maritime law is the main reason "pirating" happens in the first place. They need to change the laws first, before the pirating will ever stop.
