Could someone please explain why merchant ships are not allowed to carry small arms, flash bangs, tear gas and the like to defend themselves?
I've seen several reasons offered, in no particular order:
- Owners fear liability if anyone/anything is shot.
- Many ports won't let in private ships carrying arms greater than a shotgun.
- Sailors fear bad guys will be harder on them if they resist unsuccessfully.
- The sailors still are paid while being held captive and expect to be ransomed so see no good reason to risk a good fight.
- The sailors and merchant vessels don't see fighting piracy as their job.
The first needs legal reforms, although I'm not holding my breath waiting for them. The second needs local legal reforms, which could be encouraged if ships started skipping their ports. I suspect those laws could be fixed if we had a real American State Department. The third and fourth require education of the sailors and, alas, for the pirates to show their true colors rather act like vacation resort hosts to those captured. Up to a point they are right on the last point. Their governments are supposed to protect them, but currently are doing a better job protecting the pirates.