The water’s within reach of Somalia have turned into the Wild West of the sea due to rampant and increasingly brazen acts of piracy. A failed state, abysmal economy, and the allure of big money are the usual reasons given why frustrated fishermen turn to terrorizing oil tankers and pleasure boaters. But disregarded in the discussion are the men in Somalia still trying to eek out an honest living from the 2,000 miles of fish-rich coastline, and the perils they face on a daily basis. The good, the bad, and the ugly—Somali fishermen suffer from them all.
On an average day, a Somali fisherman is in danger of being attacked by the bad, Somali pirates, the ugly, illegal foreign trawlers, and the good, foreign navies who ironically mistake them for the bad, Somali pirates.
Recently, armed security teams of the European Union Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) fired at Somali fishermen mistaking them for pirates since the men onboard the fishing boat carried AK47s. Given the dangers of the environment, it is has become standard practice for Somali fishermen to carry guns to protect themselves and their catch.
There are also reports of gangs of Somali pirates attacking fishermen and confiscating their ships, according to "The Economics of Piracy,” a recent report from Oceans Beyond Piracy.
"We are getting hit from all sides,” Hassan, a fisherman from Kismayo in southern Somalia, was quoted as saying by IRIN, the United Nations humanitarian news service.
"We are not only targeted by these foreign fishing vessels, but we also fall victim to the military ships, which don’t differentiate between pirates and fishermen," said Hassan.
Illegal Fishing and Waste Dumping
Somalia’s maritime ranks as one of the five richest fishing zones in the world, which was relatively unexploited in the past. It is home to many large fish species such as tuna and mackerel, as well as endangered species such as baby whales, orcas, sharks, and sea turtles.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that about 700 foreign-owned vessels were engaged in unlicensed fishing in Somali waters in 2005. These illegal fishing ships, moreover, are also reported to be using prohibited practices such as using drift nets and under water explosives. These methods can irreparably damage the ecosystem and kill vital fish habitats, including some endangered species.
In 2009, the Somali government said it would regulate fishing in its waters, but that has not happened. The weak Somali state has no capacity to control the area and so it largely remains unchecked. At the current rate, the present stocks are in danger of being rapidly depleted.
“The Somali people are being denied any income from this resource due to their inability to license and police the zone,” John Laurence, a fishery consultant with PanOcena Resources Ltd. told African Executive Magazine.
In the absence of Somali enforcement, there is no other body to perform the role. “The U.N. is turning a blind eye to the activities of the fishing vessels whose operators are not paying their dues; which in any other circumstances would be enforced by any international court of law,” said Laurence.
Foreign vessels are not only accused of illegal fishing, but also of dumping industrial, toxic, and nuclear waste both offshore and on the shore areas of Somalia.
The problems of illegal fishing and dumping were cited in a U.N. Security Council resolution from April, as needing to be addressed to help build the strength of the Somali state and deal with problem of piracy.
Part of the problem engendered by the illegal foreign activity is that Somali pirates believe they are protecting their fishing territory, particularly as the economics of fishing itself makes less and less sense.
The "Oceans Beyond Piracy" report predicts that if things stay as they are, the number of pirates in Somali will double by 2016.
Currently, the average annual income of a pirate is 67 to 157 times higher than that of an average Somali worker. Add to that the increasing dangers of being on the seas, plus the depletion of maritime stocks, it is likely that more fishermen will give up and turn to piracy.
Source: The Epoch Times
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