Are merchant vessels forbidden from carrying weapons by Maritime Law?
Many ports have rules requiring vessels carrying armament to register and berth differently from merchant vessels. Some modifications of the maritime rules may be needed, but I don’t think arming merchant vessels is the right answer. With the millions the pirates now have, that will just lead to an escalating war of firepower and ships going to the bottom. The naval powers of the world need to take on this problem, and ultimately on land as well as the sea. Somalia needs a working government.
