Last summer I was back home in LA visiting my parents when the Third Pirates of the Caribbean movie was released. I was waiting for them to join me at the Santa Monica Promenade (known for its’ wackos) when I noticed a crowd gathering around a man waiving a poster. Oh yes—he was protesting the Pirates movie. His poster, which reminded me of my 10th grade English projects (glue stick, grainy photos, and hastily written captions), was a tearful outcry against the rehabilitation of the pirate as a historical figure.

The guy was definitely nuts, but as much as I hate to say it, he did have a point.

What did you think when you saw the title of this piece? Captain Jack Sparrow? Hook? Tim Curry’s Long John Silver?

Don’t get me wrong, I love pirate movies and the whole pirate genre (so much so that I had my second tattoo done at a pirate themed parlor but that’s besides the point…). But unfortunately outside of Disneyland, the whole Yo Ho Yo Ho A Pirates Life for Me isn’t what piracy is all about.

Meet the Pirates of Somalia:

Instead of the Black Pearl, these pirates are cruising the seas in small fishing boats (known as ‘Volvos’ actually)…Gone are the cannons and cutlasses, replaced with deadlier automatic rifles and rocket propelled grenades…

On Friday, April 4th, 10 such pirates attacked the Le Ponant, a French luxury yacht in the Gulf of Aden. While no passengers were on board, 30 crewmembers are being held hostage.

This is an all too regular an occurrence in Somalia

Last month, the Danish company Svitzer Korsakov paid $700,000 in ransom for the return of its tugboat and crew of six.

In May 2007, pirates attempted to hijack a ship chartered by the UN food relief agency.

According to the BBC, in fact, within Somali coastal waters, pirates seized over 25 ships during 2007.

“Okay”, you might say, “So what? As long as I’m not taking a cruise in the Indian Ocean off Somalia why should I give a hoot?”

I’m glad you asked.

Think about Darfur; the war, the rapes, the poor economy, the horror. As my article a few weeks ago discussed, Somalia in many ways is . The country has been at war since 1991 and pirates are greatly exacerbating and perpetuating the situation.

Many international organizations that would like to donate food and medical supplies are prevented from doing so thanks to piracy. Following that incident in May 2007, aid was suspended for a time to Somalia due to the security risk.

Piracy also feeds the cycle of lawlessness—if most people aren’t following the law, it becomes financially/socially/etc. untenable to remain law-abiding even if you wanted to (i.e. giving bribes in many countries). This cycle perpetuates political dysfunction, preventing the country from attaining stability and peace.

So what can we do?

Help Somalis stop fighting. Once peace is established then the government will have a slightly better chance at fighting off the piracy.

Check out the Institute for Multi-track Diplomacy’s work on Somalia. They have some of the best credibility on the issue so if you’re interested in making a difference check them out first.