Well, hello to everyone out there in Acorn land. Many of you might have thought that the Golden Acorn was finished, but wait, it’s back from a long hiatus. So, how has your 2021 been so far? This has been a very strange time in our history, and if nothing else, everyone should probably write in a personal journal just so we don’t forget the amount of fun we are having between pandemics, riots, elections, schools being closed and let me just say, Calgon…take me away. If you are too young to know about this reference, you can look it up on YouTube and enjoy a blast from the past. Or in this case, a splash from the past.
So, what great and interesting story am I bringing to the Acorn today? The quick answer is Metal Pirates. When you think of pirates, many of you think about times past, probably around the Caribbean. Thanks, Johnny Depp, for all your enjoyable movies. Some might think about a group of men around Pittsburg portraying a baseball team…Ouch, but I’m just kidding. I’m a Rockies fan, and they really haven’t been setting the world on fire lately, but I digress.
Today we still have true pirates out there, some of which can be found around the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Somali coast, the Strait of Malacca, and the Caribbean. Also known as Hostis humani generis or “enemy of mankind,” this group of people will stop at nothing to turn a quick profit. The pirates that I’m talking about are known as Metal Pirates. Not only are they looking for a quick and easy dollar, but they are also literally destroying world historic sites and desecrating the graves of men who fought and died for their nations in past wars.
I wasn’t even aware that this was going on until I ran across an article about Truk Lagoon, which is the very popular diving site to view sunken warships and airplanes from World War ll. (For two days in 1944, Allied bombers rained destruction on the beaches of the Caroline Islands in the South Pacific.
During World War II, the lagoon was host to Japan’s Imperial Fleet, which was left destroyed in the wake of Operation Hailstone, often referred to as Japan’s Pearl Harbor. Today, hundreds of Japanese aircraft and other military machines remain at the bottom of the lagoon, making it one of the world’s best World War II wreck dive sites).
There are many precautions that are taken to preserve these sites not only for their historical significance but because they are in fact the resting place for thousands of men. Above all else, you can’t even touch any part of these ships or take souvenirs from these wrecks without legal repercussions, and so when I read about what these Metal Pirates were doing at other locations, it just boggles my mind to what depths people will go to for an easy dollar. Like every other issue in the world, there is a flip side to this discussion, and there is no real right or wrong answer.
“Metal pirates” are literally dismantling entire ships and aircraft from battle sites for the raw steel to feed the economies and needs of resources in emerging nations. Mining and producing steel is very expensive, and today in Asia, demand is high for rebar to make buildings, factories, dams, or just about anything. What better way to offset this cost by simply taking steel left over from World War II in lagoons and shallow seas around the South Pacific. Another added benefit is that this steel predates nuclear bomb testing and is free of background radioactivity necessary for scientific and medical testing, and brings a pretty penny on the open market.
The items that metal pirates are looking for are any of the metal, bronze, and all the casings of a ship’s electrical components. Just to put this into perspective, a single bronze propeller may bring tens of thousands of dollars, and an entire wreck may contain as much as $1 million in metal, giving plenty of motivation for metal pirates.
This problem wasn’t even recognized as happening until recently when people started noticing sunken ships simply started disappearing off the ocean floor in recent years. Ships like the HMAS Perth, one of Australia’s most treasured warships, has been plundered for scrap metal, as have Dutch and British ships and a U.S. sub sunk during the Battle of the Java Sea.
During World War II, the Axis and Allied powers built around 110,000 ships in the years leading up to and during the war. Thousands of these were sunk around the world, including many that engaged in battles in the South Pacific and now lie in shallow waters or lagoons. An example of this, dozens of ships were lost in the Solomon Island’s waters, and the waters surrounding the Federated States of Micronesia contain 65 sunken Japanese vessels and 245 known airplanes. Although the countries these vessels are flagged with still own them, access to them is controlled by the nations that govern the waters where they now lie.
So why would these countries not try and protect these ships? Quite simply, the resources in the form of money aren’t always there to protect these areas in many of these poorer nations. Another sticking point is many of these nations where the ships lie, were victimized in World War II and the local governments aren’t always motivated to protect wrecks that symbolize a troubling colonial past. Many Pacific countries aren’t particularly excited to divvy up the manpower needed to protect wrecked ships that were used to invade them during the war. Many of these islands really suffered at the hands of the Japanese, and there’s not a great love for the old war wrecks. Another problem is that many of these sites contain explosive ordinance, oil, or chemicals that can pollute the surrounding marine environments and affect the citizens of these nation’s well-being and health.
Many vessels were sunk with live bombs or ammunition that can leak chemicals like lead or mercury into the water as they deteriorate, not to mention the physical danger they pose if they are triggered. Some vessels were also sunk with oil in their tanks. All these pollutants can cause problems for aquatic ecosystems and local people who depend on fishing for their sustenance and livelihood.
Because many of the wrecks are in remote locations and the countries that owned them aren’t exactly stepping up to remove potentially polluting vessels, illicit removal by “metal pirates” may actually be the only removal option available in some cases.
Still, while many of the island countries would like to see the wrecks removed from their coastal waters and lagoons, the cure of the pirates might be worse for these countries then just leaving them undisturbed. The illicit removal is much worse than regular salvaging operations since the pirates have little concern for any spills they might cause. No one is arguing that every ship sitting on the sea bottom should be left there, but some regulations and safety measures should be followed for the safety of everyone involved. There are some ships that are so dangerous to the environment and personal safety that they should simply be left in place and not subjected to a recovery operation.
So, the next question is, who are these Metal Pirates, and where do they operate? Most of the world’s large shipping scrap yards and recycled metal markets are in India, China, or Bangladesh, although some also exist in the Philippines and Malaysia. While many of these yards are legitimate processing plants, a “blind eye” is often given to these recyclers, and the origins of their loot is never asked about.
To many, the metal from these ships isn’t the primary concern. How about these sites being the resting place for many men, and they should be left in peace. To many cultures in Asia, these sites should never be disturbed and are sacred. The dead need to be left alone, but this isn’t happening when these pirates show up.
Without question, there are still human remains in these wrecks and people scrapping these vessels use cranes and giant metal claws that simply rip off entire sections of these ships. According to a report by The Guardian, these large sections have included bones, which were then buried in mass graves on the shoreline by welders and other scrappers. Other remains may not even get that level of respect. There have been firsthand stories of a salvage company spraying debris, including glasses, fabric and watches off the metal parts when they bring them up. Other witnesses have reported that bones that end up on these salvage barges’ decks are simply kicked off the sides very un-ceremonially.
So, where do we go from here? Protect these historical sites or let the metal be harvested and used to fuel the world’s economies of rising powers today? It is very ironic that these ships were produced to show off the prowess and might of nations back in the day. Basically, it’s doing the same thing today with these emerging countries. Buildings and cities are being constructed with some of these old war machine’s steel, to show the world again; we’ve arrived, and you better take notice of our nation’s growing strength and economic power.
Right wrong or indifferent, how do you feel about these Metal Pirates? Shoot me a line and let me know what you think. Until we meet again, stay safe and keep tuning into the Acorn for interesting and revealing stories.