But the Japanese have returned, and they're stronger than ever, accompanied by a security vessel and a zero-tolerance attitude.
And while kidnappings are still rare, the practice may be on the rise.Shipping companies are boosting security on vessels.
Government plans to loosen restrictions on foreign-crewed ships undermine national security because vessels registered in countries with low transparency could be used by terrorists and organised crime, Labor has warned.
On Wednesday, the United Nations reported that Somali piracy had fallen to a seven-year low because of increased international policing, tougher prosecutions of pirate gangs and greater use of private security on vessels.
Members of the Brigade performed a wide variety of missions including evacuation of prisoners of war, security of vessels and ports, convoy escort, security of vital installations and VIPs, maintenance of discipline, law and order, and direct support to combat operations.
The chairman of the company that owns the ship said that maintaining security on merchant vessels was virtually impossible.
Coordinated preemptive action among national navies had been significantly beefed up, and shipping firms had been making much greater use of armed security guards on vessels.
"We will now be better able to harden physical infrastructure, verify the security of individual vessels before they approach a U.S. port, and better restrict access to our port areas," Mr. Ridge said.
For their part, insurance companies should require a defined level of security on client vessels and reward shippers with lower premiums if they comply, higher ones if they don't.
The European Union's naval task force in the region said last April that factors in the decrease included more armed security aboard merchant vessels and the presence of foreign navies.
