Shippers seek naval crackdown on bandits

Kuala Lumpur: A shipping body and tanker owners from around the world on Monday called for a military blockade along the coast of Somalia to intercept pirate vessels heading out to sea.

Peter Swift, managing director of the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, said stronger naval action - including aerial and aviation support - is necessary to battle rampant piracy in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia.

Some 20 tankers sail through the sea lane daily but many tanker owners are considering a massive detour around southern Africa to avoid pirates, which will delay delivery and push cost up by 30 per cent, he said.

The association, whose members own 2,900 tankers or 75 per cent of the world's fleet, opposes attempts to arm merchant ships because this may escalate the violence and put crew members at risk, he said.

"The other option is perhaps putting a blockade around Somalia and introducing the idea of intercepting vessels leaving Somalia rather than to try to protect the whole of the Gulf of Aden," said Swift.

"A blockade along Somalia's 3,900 kilometre-long coastline is not easy but some intervention there may be effective. This is where coordination (among naval warships) is important," Swift told reporters on the sidelines of a shipping conference here.

At present, warships patrol a vast international maritime corridor, escorting some merchant ships and responding to distress calls in the area.