航行船舶提防海盜問題之探討

田文國

《海運研究學刊》 1期 (1996/04) Pp. 45-59

https://doi.org/10.7093/MRJ.199604.0045

摘要

『海盜行為』包括了殺人、搶劫、掠奪、強姦及其他邪惡的行為，此一惡行存在於人類的歷史已以經很多世紀了。在人們的記憶中『海盜行為』就如同藥瓶上視作為毒藥標幟的骷顱頭以及交叉的手骨圖案，並以天不怕地不怕的模樣搶劫船舶，並把劫掠來的財物視為獎品。
在短短的四年中(1990-1994)，發生武裝海盜攻擊全球航行船舶事件已超600件，此一記錄，明白的顯示了對於海盜的存在於現今已不容置疑，但此一記錄和事實存在發生的數字有其極大之差異，主要係由於各國家、船東以及個人的因素，有不少事件的發生事實上被隱瞞了起來。
『海盜攻擊』發生於世界各地，包括菲律賓、南中國海、印度洋、西非、加勒比海和南美等地區。事實證明海盜事件之增、減與貿易往來及有關沿海國當局的特別關注有關，但始終存在的海盜事實是不容置疑的。
為什麼各國政府對此一恐怖的之船舶被攻擊事件在接近於二十一世紀時，仍容許其發生？為什麼歐洲船東協會忠告其會員，於航行某特殊水域中保持高度警戒並採取預防措施，要到何時才能使船舶保證航行於永遠安全的水域之中。
在根除海盜攻擊的反制行動中，必需現在就立即開始實施，以使世界航路得保航行安全。

並列摘要

The word ”Piracy” has been applied to acts of murder, robbery, plunder, rape and other vilainous deeds which have transpired over centuries of mankind's history. Piracy usually conjures up in one's mind images of a flag with skull and crossbones, still used today on medicine bottles to indicate poison, and of swashbucklers, plundering ships and taking booty as prize.
Piracy is as rife today as ever with over 400 armed attacks on shipping recorded as taking place in the brief period from 1980 to 1984. This record is undoubtedly the most comprehensive which exists, yet the information is still far from complete because of the great difficulties of uncovering the full story when nations, individuals and shipowners each have their own reasons for keeping the facts secret.
Raids have taken place in areas ranging from the Philippines and South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, West Africa, the Caribbean and South America. Though its incidecs waxes and wanes as trade patterns change, or as Authorities take greater measures to control the trouble, there is little doubt that it will continue to exist.
Why is it that governments still permit these horrific attacks to take place in the closing years of the twentieth century? Why does one European shipowners' association have to advice its members to develop a barricaded ”Fortress” within a ship's accommodation, and how long will it be before action is taken to ensure that ships are safe?
Action is needed now to stamp out the attacks and make the world's sea route safe from ruthless theives and thugs.