Pirates are Here to Stay Says Professor

Maritime Studies Program teacher at Texas A&M University of Galveston believes piracy rests on firm foundations

Tom Oertling, who teaches in the Maritime Studies Program in the General Academics Department at the Galveston campus, says pirates have been around about as long as there have been ships. Modern-day pirates are regarded as folk heroes in many countries and in today's worldwide economic hard times, they almost represent a growth industry.

Studying pirates is not as far-fetched as it may sound: many Texas A&M-Galveston graduates obtain maritime licenses to operate cruise ships, oil tankers and cargo ships, all potential targets of worldwide pirates today.

Oertling says that a notable pirate attack involved Julius Caesar. At age 25 and years before he became emperor of Rome, Caesar was captured by pirates and held for ransom. The pirates wanted 20 talents of silver (more than $500,000 in today's dollars) to be paid for his safe release.

As for today's pirates, Oertling says their methods and ways of grabbing ships, crew and cargo have not changed much since the Julius Caesar incident.

"Several hundred years ago, they used fast ships to overtake a prey and battled their way onboard," he says. "Today, they use a different kind of fast ship, such as a high-powered speed boat, to get near a ship. Rocket-propelled grenade launchers and machine guns have replaced muskets and cannons, but the goal is still the same: to board the ship quickly.

"Once pirates have made it onto a ship, it's pretty much over – they have won. Then they sit back and figure out a ransom amount and contact the owners to pay it or else."