This is why countries need to get tough on modern piracy, particularly as it applies to Somalia. That includes companies, too, who only perpetuate and encourage further piracy by making criminals rich with ransom payments. Via Philly.com:

The spoils of a career as a pirate off Somalia’s high seas were simply too good for Abdi Muse to pass up. He bought two Land Cruisers and a new home, then married two women in one passionate week.
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To some pirates, the prospect of international force is not particularly daunting.

“We are not scared of the U.S. troops or any other troops stationed off our waters. Why should we be scared?” asked Siyad, a Somalian pirate who asked that his full name not be used for fear of reprisals.

“They have weapons, but so do we. And we are the ones with the human shields,” he said, noting that troops are loath to use force because it risks harming hostages.

Key quote:

Noel Choong, head of the agency’s piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, said simple economics can explain much of Somalia’s burgeoning piracy.

“At the end of the day, you hijack a ship, you get paid ransom,” Choong said. “These pirates aren’t frightened, because the returns are so big.”

It’s a tough one for companies, because there is undoubtedly tremendous pressure to get the hostages out of harm’s way as quickly and safely as possible. The easiest way to do this is simply to give in to the pirates demand for ransom, especially if the company involved has K&R Insurance, which I would assume most large companies do, particularly if they sail in dangerous waters. However, as clearly illustrated above, this only emboldens the pirates and makes it more popular than ever. The proper response after securing the release of the hostages is to hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice, much like the French did after the hostages of the CMA-CGM yacht Ponant were released.

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