VOA标准英语2009年-Somali Prates Slowed, But Not Stopped by Intern

（单词翻译）

The International Maritime² Bureau said the international anti-piracy campaign off the coast of Somalia has reduced the number of successful ship hijackings this year.
　
Suspected pirates wait in Mombassa, Kenya on 10 Mar¹ 2009 after being handed over to Kenyan police by the German navy the previous week

The director of the International Maritime Bureau in London, Pottengal Mukundun, said the presence of ships from 17 international navies in the Gulf⁵ of Aden and the Red Sea area has not deterred⁶ Somali pirates from trying to hijack³ vessels⁸.

But he said the increased naval⁹ patrols have severely¹⁰ hampered¹¹ the pirates' ability to mount successful attacks.

"In October and November, one attack in three succeeded as a hijacking⁴. This year, they are looking at around one attack in seven. Now, that is quite a big difference. They are finding it more and more difficult to get on board the ships, which means that they are incurring¹² the cost of keeping the mother ships out at sea without positive results," he said.

Pirate mother ships are vessels that act as launching pads for the small and nimble skiffs used by pirates to approach and hijack ships.

The skiffs helped Somali pirates carry out more than 120 attacks last year. They successfully seized 42 ships, including a supertanker laden¹³ with oil and a freighter carrying a cargo¹⁴ of Russian-built tanks and other weapons. The average ransom¹⁵ for crew and vessel⁷ had jumped to more than $1 million, driving up shipping¹⁶ and insurance costs and threatening to disrupt global trade.
　
A Canadian Navy warship¹⁷, foreground, escorts a World Food Program ship off the coast of Somalia (file photo)

The international community responded by sending dozens of warships¹⁸ to the region to escort commercial vessels through vulnerable shipping lanes and to prevent attacks. Various navies have captured pirates and seized their vessels and weapons.

NATO member states carried out the first anti-piracy mission off Somalia between October and December, 2008. The European Union is now spearheading a year-long effort, working with the navies of such countries as China, Russia, India, and South Korea.

Pottengal Mukundun said he fears a sharp drop in the number of hijackings may tempt¹⁹ some countries to reduce their role in anti-piracy operations in the coming months, especially if they are facing financial pressures at home.

But he said without a robust²⁰ international presence to protect the waterways, pirates will go back to operating with impunity²¹ and plunge²² the world into deeper economic crisis.

"It is very important that the navies look upon this as a long-term commitment. It is an international waterway, which needs to be protected and we think it falls upon the countries, who have the assets, to do so," he said.

NATO member states have approved the operational plan for a second anti-piracy mission to begin later this month. Seven naval vessels from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United States are expected to be on patrol in the region until early July.