Call for shipping industry to create positive media exposure on piracy issue

CEO of Hong Kong-based ship manager Anglo-Eastern Group Peter Cremers is calling on the shipping industry to step up its efforts and use "every trick in the book" to gain the attention of the mass media and through them the general public and politicians, to heighten their awareness about the risks of piracy that seafarers are facing daily.

"We need to be all over the media, get them on board to help us get rid of piracy," said Mr Cremers.

"We are now supporting a piracy industry at both sides of the conflict from pirates to negotiators to armed guards to cash suppliers, and we have to stop this before it is considered as an integral part of conducting our business," he said in a statement issued by MTI Network (Asia).

Mr Cremers' comments follow the release of Paul and Rachel Chandler from their captivity in Somalia 12 months after being captured by Somali pirates.

"I am extremely happy for Paul and Rachel Chandler to be finally released by their Somali pirates after so many months," said Mr Cremers.

However, the enthusiastic media response over the release of two yachtsmen also brought to mind the plight of recent commercial kidnappings. This prompted Mr Cremers to muse about the industry's lack of ability to use the media to provoke the same type of response among the general public and politicians to do something positive to stop piracy.

"But, hang on, was it (the release of the Chandlers) not within the same fortnight that one or two commercial ships were released from captivity each with 20 odd people on board?

"Are we shipping professionals just amateurs in playing the public?" said Mr Cremers.

He continued: "Have we managed to get one camera man on board a just released ship, to see for ourselves and show the world the physical and psychological damage caused by the piracy?

"Have we managed to get a cameraman and show the world the home-coming of the fathers and husbands somewhere in India, Philippines or China, much to the relief of so many family members depending on their income?"

"Are we getting governments and their diplomats involved to make things happen, as was so successfully demonstrated by the Chandlers?"
(Source:www.schednet.com)