VOA慢速英语 海盗袭击索马里海岸所有过往船只

　　The International Maritime Bureau reports there were one hundred eleven pirate attacks in waters near the Somali coast last year. That is almost double the number from two thousand seven. But already this year, pirates have carried out more than eighty-four attacks in the waters of the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast.

　　Piracy has a high economic price for ship owners and operators. The Congressional Research Service estimates that pirates were paid more than thirty million dollars for the release of ships and crews they held last year. Other estimates are even higher.

　　A United Nations resolution permits international naval forces to fight piracy in Somali waters. About twenty countries have sent warships to the area to protect merchant ships. Slowly, the international community is working toward a legal process to try piracy suspects close to where they operate.

　　The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime says Kenya has agreed to be the first nation in the area to try Somali piracy suspects. In December, the East African nation agreed to deploy police on international warships who would bring suspects to Kenya for trial. The U.N. crime agency is now seeking support for the plan from the United States Congress. Agency chief Antonio Maria Costa says other nations in the area may join the effort. But, he says, the plan's success depends on international support.

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