Maritime Piracy in Somalia: Developing New Situational Prevention Techniques

From the 1980s the international community has shown a growing concern about sea piracy, as a consequence of a significant rise of the recorded attacks. The security of maritime routes is indeed a matter of concern for states, as well as for trade companies whose vessels face the risk of being attacked and either robbed of the entire cargo or hijacked for a ransom. This paper analyses and explains the existing opportunities that drive pirates and discusses present and future remedies with a focus on situational prevention techniques.