A senior Pentagon official on Tuesday urged Congress to create incentives such as tax breaks to encourage shipping companies to invest in their own security against pirate attacks.
In the first quarter of 2009, 102 piracy incidents were reported to the International Maritime Bureau, nearly double the number during the same period in 2008, said Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michelle Flournoy.
"It may be useful for Congress to consider developing incentives to encourage merchant shipping to invest in security measures," said Flournoy, speaking at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on efforts to combat piracy.
The incentives could include "tax credits to reduced insurance rates for ships with enhanced security," said Flournoy, adding: "Ultimately, it may be appropriate to mandate some of these actions."
Many people in the merchant shipping industry "continue to assume unrealistically that military forces will always be present to intervene if pirates attack," said Flournoy.
"As a result, many have so far been unwilling to invest adequately in basic security measures that would render their ships far less vulnerable," she said.
The most effective short-term response to piracy "will be working with merchant shipping lines to ensure that the vessels in the region take appropriate security measures," said Flournoy.
She discussed passive defense measures — including keeping good communications with maritime security authorities, varying routes, removing external ladders, and posting lookouts — as well as active defense measures, which range "from rigging fire hoses to repel pirates, to maintaining professional civilian armed security teams on board."
The US military "will continue to respond when US-flag vessels and US citizens are attacked by pirates," Flourony said.
"But when ships have effective onboard security measures in place, the vast majority of attempted pirate attacks can be thwarted without any need for military intervention," she said.
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