Somali pirates 'seize Danish children' in Indian Ocean
 

Three Danish children and their parents have been snatched by pirates who hijacked their sailing boat in the Indian Ocean, Danish officials say.

Denmark's foreign ministry said the children were aged between 12 and 16, and that two Danish crew members were also captured during the attack.

Pirates seized the boat on 24 February and were said to be heading to Somalia.

Piracy is a highly lucrative trade in Somalia, where gangs can often demand millions of dollars in ransoms.

As of last week, the EU's anti-piracy naval force said pirates were holding a total of 31 vessels, and 688 hostages.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12600251

Note: 28 February 2011 Last updated at 16:58 GMT

why do people sail in those waters??!!

1. Suez Chanel
2.Pirates are almost a blue water force!
they control like half the Indian ocean

I think this has been a problem for a long time, which has been disastrous ramifications that impact, so in this case has now children have been the subject of pirates malice and troubled world, so there are solutions to take and it should be with them resources that are available, both from the shipping side,and all those countries that are "good" in the affected areas and the UN and the EU 's anti-pirate force, and the expansion of NATO presence

Merchant ships go where they're sent, but pleasure craft is something completely different and begs the question, what in the world are these people doing there?

Merchant ships trying to go the shortest route, there are other alternative routes, but the companies believe that it costs too much.and on smaller vessels that are in the area, so maybe they think that stuff does not affect us, or are they hungry for adventure, pirates do not care about empathic situations as long as they find a vessel

Q-ships and an ROE policy that deals with the problem on the spot. (Summary destruction).

Set new rules regarding separation between ships. Any ship closing that range gets destroyed, survivors are not rescued (which is a good idea, cause I'd use pirates bobbing in the water for target practice).

+1 on the Q-ship idea,
...but is it legal ? It could almost be construed as entrapment.

The Danish family being held hostage by pirates off the Horn of Africa will die in a rescue attempt, threatening the pirates. Denmark has sent several warships to the area to hunt down pirates.

My theoughts entirely :yep:

Maybe kind of along the lines of knowing it's possible that a violent storm can rear it's ugly head without notice on our passage. We might reason about the chances of the boat capsizing and loosing our life at sea etc etc. Yet we still go.

Also too most cruisers I know are a self-loathing bunch of sheep. They tend to believe having firearms will only escalate to more violence. A simple flare gun or their little LhasaApso will scare off any would be intruders. They have a real screwed up world view, believing if they could just talk with these people they could bring peace and harmony to the high seas. They just don't get it there are people out there who wish to do them harm and take their possessions.

Cruising magazines once awhile tell of rape and murder but never offer good advice. Usually they follow-up with the latest stun-gun color fashions.

Those nice peace-loving guys at sea-shepherd have already shown the way. They use an air powered 'spud gun' to shoot at whaling ships and have substituted paint and acid jars for potatoes. Imagine what you could do with one of those loaded with a mazeltov coctail shell.
:cool:

If Sea shepherd can use it, it must not be a weapon prohibited by international law, right ?

Over 800 somali pirates have been arrested so far. UN is considering building a special prison for them somewhere.

Why not summarily execute them in international waters?

Piracy is a crime against all nations, no one should have a problem with this.

I agree. Pirates resort to, well, piracy because it is profitable. A 100% certainty of death, however, is decidedly unprofitable, which eliminates the incentive for piracy.