Piracy, is it really a problem?
 

In 2008, the Gulf of Aden saw passage of approximately 23,000 ships, 92 of which were hijacked.

So in 2008, .004% of the shipping traffic going through there experienced pirates and this cost the shippers/insurance/etc about $80 million or, a shade under $1 million an occurrence.

Is this really a problem?

How many the previous year? What's the projected rate of incrase absent intervention?

- Peter.

Since 2000 the number is going down, Indonesia has a simlar problem but people don't hate Indonesions as much as Somali's.

It was my sense that the total number of attacks has been dropping but the press was making something more of it lately. I'm still looking for the annual statistics (I used to have a link with the actual numbers but it no workee now).

http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2008/352/16_clip_image002.jpg

I used to have a link myself to the specific Somalia numbers its somewhere in the interweb.

depends as to if you are a pirate prisoner or not.....

I google them but they are too tied up right now.

This year's shark attacks?

Fair point, this has been going on for year and I think the whole thing only really started becoming big news once that ship with the tanks was captured....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Faina

The correct number, is 0.4% - assuming the ship and hijack numbers are accurate.

In addition to being a math Nazi (pun intended), I enjoy being annoying on occasion. Let's apply that same ratio elsewhere, and see how things pan out.

The Bay Bridge between SF and Oakland, sees about 272,000 crossings per day.

If 1088 of these vehicles were carjacked every day, would that really be a problem?

The correct answer: Of course not. I don't travel on that bridge.

mybad... .004=0.4% :rolleyes: