The Lifestyle of Pirates

They drive flashy cars, throw extravagant parties in their massive houses, talks loudly into to the latest mobile phones and take only the most beautiful young women as their wives.

This apply to Somali pirates, that swiftly becoming the Horn of Africa nation's nouveau riche. Piracy in Somali has its roots in a movement of fishermen who banded together in the 1990s to prevent illegal fishing and the dumping of toxic waste off their shore.

While the hijacker still maintain this is their primary motivation, piracy has changed into a highly lucrative industry companies cough up increasingly hefty ransoms for the release of their ships.

The business has snowballed over the few years as young men , seeing the lavish lifestyle of their peers, flock to get their slice of cake.

The East African Seafarer's Assistance Program says they are now well over 1,000 pirates patrolling the Gulf of Athens, compared to just over 100 in 2005.

The popularity of the pirates, the flashing the cash helps the gang achieve acceptance, particularly in Somalia.This year has been the worst on records on acts of piracy off Somalia.

Almost 40 ships have been hijacked this year. The crowning glory came over the weekend when a Saudi Arabia's supertanker , the Sirius Star, was seized while the carrying 100 million dollars of crude oil.

They reported demanding of $25 million for the released of the ship. It is also suggest that some quarters that the pirates have links to Islamist insurgents in south and central Somalia ,

The hostages who spend months sopped up on board while negotiations take place. They are treated well during their captivity, with the pirates often setting up special kitchens onshore to cook western meals. The strategy of taking care of their captives has paid dividends.

According to a recent report by London -based think tank Chathan House, shipping companies have lashed out $30 million in ransoms to Somalia's pirates this year.

But there is a plenty of cash left over for life luxuries . As a result, the pirates rarely fight among themselves---no small feat in a plagued by clan rivalries.

To ease any possible tensions the pirates have a system in place to ensure equitable distribution of ransom funds. Even though the warships are becoming an increasing threat, with an Indian frigate sinking a pirate mother ship earlier this week and government s worldwide demanding firmer action , the rewards for the pirates still far outweigh the risk.

As long as this remains the case and Somalia remains a country of limited opportunities, the pirates are unlikely to abandoned their nefarious seafaring activities.