UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Centuries after piracy was recognized as the first international crime against humanity, the U.N. Security Council held its first debate Monday on piracy’s rise as a threat to world peace and security. It’s a big business, with pirates raking in an average of $5 million in ransom for each seized ship, costing the maritime industry at least $6.6 billion a year in extra security costs.

In the past, the council has focused on regional piracy outbreaks such as those off the coast of Somalia, in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa and in Southeast Asia.