The recent audacious pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the horn of Africa have fuelled the debate about the privatisation of maritime security. Ship owners and maritime security experts, as well as representatives of industry organisations, have stated that private security companies...

Carolin Liss of Murdoch University discusses “the possible benefits and disadvantages of Australian participation in an international, UN approved, anti-piracy task-force operating in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa. In themselves, Liss notes, “the patrols of pirate-infested waters are of limited...

Carolin Liss of Murdoch University writes that 'combating piracy is a difficult and complex task, requiring more than the patrolling of piracy-prone waters.' Liss argues that five factors 'are of particular importance in shaping piracy in Southeast Asia: over-fishing, lax maritime regulations, the existence of...

In the past few years, an increasing number of Private Security Companies (PSCs – also sometimes referred to as Private Military Companies, PMCs2) has emerged and is offering and conducting maritime security services in Southeast Asia. These companies offer services in addition to security provided...

Today, private companies offer services for every aspect of life, including the security and military sector. They are also employed to secure the world's oceans. In the last ten years an increasing number of private companies offering anti-piracy services have surfaced and expanded. Despite their...