However, this story is not a happy ending as it masks a hidden tragedy that is often untold and ignored not just by the world at large but even by employers of crews kidnapped. The fact is that there remains, as well as the ships mentioned above and their crews an almost unknown group of crewman whose ship has sunk or the ransom paid and part of the crew retained by pirates for further ransom. A case in point is the recently released MV Orna captured in December 2010. After nearly two years in captivity the ship owner negotiated a ransom for the ship which was released last Friday but with only 13 of the crew on board. The other six (Syria and Sri Lanka nationals) have been taken ashore by pirate groups to extract further ransom as the amount paid by the owner was insufficient.

There are 29 hostages currently held by pirate groups on shore in Somalia enduring the most horrendous conditions and often tortured and threatened over the phone or on video in an effort to extract a ransom often from a ship owner whose ship has already been ransomed or sunk. The incentive for ship owners is often low in these cases and in one instance the ship owner has gone broke and is out of business, as a result the ransom negotiations were left to families, friends and well wishers. UNPOS through its new Hostage Release program attempts to track these hostages and when and if released, recover them and safely return them home to their families. However, the UN does not engage in the negotiation of ransoms. We should also not forget a further 13 other hostages taken by Al Shabaab and held by them or pirate groups who endure similar if not more severe trauma as a ransom is not necessarily the objective.

Somali piracy remains at a low level currently and this is because the Industry Best Management Practice is being observed including the provision of armed guards on ships together with increased naval action at sea by European Union Naval Force, NATO, Combined Maritime Forces and others. But the lull is also due to an extended monsoon season, which has now ended. Again, we are seeing attacks beginning, so far without success.

As everyone involved in Somalia knows the solution to piracy lies on the land. The UN and other partners now seek to assist the new government in Mogadishu and regional states with capacity to fight this problem themselves so that pirates never get to the sea. Somalia has a rich maritime environment, which if properly managed and protected will become a major income generator to the economy as it recovers. To do this a maritime strategy is required with a proper legal framework of laws and treaties (including the difficult issue of an Exclusive Economic Zone), with a maritime law enforcement capability at national and regional level and capacity to Somali ministries so that they can manage the maritime environment for the benefit of all Somalia. In this way piracy, illegal fishing, toxic waste dumping and other crimes from the sea will be eliminated. But this must be a Somali owned process. The UN and the international community provide assistance support and knowledge to make it happen.