Former Antipiracy Boss Warns Against Piracy in 2016

Dom Mee, founder and former president of Protection Vessels International (PVI) who commanded more that 1,000 former Royal Marines in the fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean, warns the maritime community on complacency.

“The main thrust of coalition operations in the region has shifted towards antiterrorist operations and the blockage of Yemen,” Mee stated. “Lack of reporting and reports being ignored relating to armed groups in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is allowing space for pirate groups to reorganize. The recent hijacking of fishing vessels off Somalia is of concern as pirate groups may use them to attack larger merchant vessels in the future.”

The geopolitical situation in Somalia shows the government continues to be unable to govern the country and provide stability or security. Al Shabab has shown resilience despite losing ground to the last Kenyan offensive but the group still remains the biggest challenge to the country. The opening of the pirate anchorages would be welcomed by impoverished communities that once earned lucrative sums supporting piracy in the past.

Mee continued, “The key is that maritime security companies and the shipping community report all suspicious activity to the IMB Piracy reporting centre. Armed groups on the water are a danger to navigation and this should be reported in the interest of all mariners. If the situation of poor passage of information continues we could well see a hijack of a merchant vessel in the high risk area during 2016.” 

After retiring from PVI, Mee has become a strategic security adviser to the super rich in Asia and has released his first book Kiting the Hurricane, a memoir about his doomed expedition to be the first person to cross the Atlantic by a kite powered boat. Mee served in the Royal Marines for 15 years specializing in intelligence.