NATO warship escorts aid ship

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 11-04-2008 09:22

A NATO warship is on patrol in the Indian Ocean, accompanying the World Food Programme ship "Victoria" as it brings aid to Somalia.

International naval forces operating off Somalia's coast have been told to be prepared to take on pirate "mother ships".

A NATO warship is on patrol in the Indian Ocean, accompanying the World Food Programme ship  "Victoria" as it brings aid to Somalia.(CCTV.com)

But the laws governing what navies can do to tackle the problem are complex.

Under international law, a naval ship can only intervene if pirates are caught boarding a ship and seizing it.

Arriving minutes after a vessel has been boarded, when there is a degree of uncertainty over whether those on board are pirates or not, is often too late.