Razor wire – injuring the crew it’s designed to protect

© Stephanie Swartz | Dreamstime.com

Prior to the advent of armed guards, a central tenet of anti-piracy best management practice was encasing a vessels’ perimeter with razor wire. This fascinating, if at times slightly gory, article argues the stuff could pose as much a danger to ships’ crews as to the pirates it is designed to protect against. “Two of the barbs lodged in the artery of my right forearm. I couldn’t remove them and I was starting to bleed quite badly.  I also realised at this point that having a rare blood group and being in a remote location was not conducive to the situation.”