Warning to ships passing the Somali Coast and other piracy-ridden waters:
Last Updated: Tuesday, 11 March 2008, 03:07 GMT
No vessel is safe from modern pirates
By Nick Rankin
BBC World Service
Pirates are not just mythological characters with peg legs, parrots and pistols. They now carry AK-47s and use speedboats to rule the high seas of the world.
Piracy is a major problem off the Somali coast
Robbery of the high seas is not confined to 18th-Century history and literature or Hollywood films - it is still very much alive today.
Ninety percent of the world's trade is still moved by sea, so it is not surprising that piracy against cargo vessels remains a significant issue.
It is estimated that seaborne piracy costs the world tens of millions of dollars a year.
Piracy peaked in 2003 with 445 attacks around the world and since then, they have more or less steadily come down.
In 2006, there were 239 attacks. Last year, the number increased slightly to 249.
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