@ Cazatou
How about a Geostationary Satellite monitoring the area in the vicinity of Somalia and a UN sponsored Multi National Anti - Piracy Task Force. This is not a UK problem - it is a UN problem.
There are already satellites monitoring the oceans. For example MARISS (Maritime Security Service) provides pre-operational satellite-based maritime surveillance services for European waters, East Africa, the Caribbean and the Atlantic to support maritime law enforcement, anti-trafficking interventions and to protect shipping lanes. (
I copied the previous word for word). There are other satellites as well.
Satellites are an aid to the solution. A few questions. How do you recognise the "bad guys" from space? If you can tell a potential baddy, how do you get the "good guys" there in time to intercept, inspect, prevent piracy etc? You may be days away from the potential bad guys. A lot of harm could be done in that time.
As for the UN, the UN are made up of us, the nations of the world. How many are really going to provide the necessary materiel and personnel to carry out the necessary task. What countries can afford to?
Forgive me for appearing so negative, I am only trying to point out the realities. There is no simple solution. Use of brute force is only going to annoy a whole bunch more people than we already have (i.e. by supporting corrupt, nasty governments in the Middle East to guarantee our fuel supplies).
A question for you all: where does all the hostage/ hijacked ship money go? I mean, after salaries, fuel, loans, security, weapons, food etc.