How are Mariners to Protect Themselves Against Piracy? Part 2

So what means are available for commercial vessels to defend themselves against piracy?

There is everything from brute force (firearms) to voltage (electric fence) to the old reliable (fire hose) to even the political (stabilizing the Somali government).

Firearms: No other idea provokes as much heated debate as this one. The general consensus by the maritime captains of industry—not to be confused with actual ship captains—is that deploying weapons for self-defense is a bad idea. Whether bringing in an outside armed security detail or arming the crew themselves (what if they stage a mutiny?!), critics argue the risk of flying bullets is not worth it. For example, what if a crewmember or guard shoots another crewmember?

The owner of a Thai fishing boat claims that a pirate craft recently blown out of the water by the Indian Navy in the Gulf of Aden was actually his hijacked vessel and innocent crewmembers were tied up below deck.

There are also jurisdictional issues to deal with. With no admiralty courts as before, there is incentive not to injure pirates. For example, the British have advised the Royal Navy not to detain pirates for fear of their requesting asylum in the United Kingdom. 

According to the Law of the Sea Treaty, before engaging pirates, a boarding party must first go to the suspicious craft to make sure those are “actual” pirates.