The pirates off the coast of Somalia exist beyond the coral reefs. But they are hardly seen on outboard motors with AK-47s. It is said that the real pirates are the foreign commercial fishing fleets that have plundered the Horn of Africa’s valuable fish and devastated the local fisherman. In 1991, Somalia’s last functional government collapsed leaving 3,330 kilometres of coastline unguarded – unguarded and rich with seafood.
Somali people watched ships emerge on the horizon, some dumped toxic waste – so much the tsunami threw it onto beaches causing radiation sickness among the local population. Then came the trawlers from Asia and Europe using underwater lighting to lure their catch away from coastal fishermen. Local business plummeted while the United Nations estimates $300 million worth of seafood is stolen each year.
Peter Lehr, author of Violence at Sea: Piracy in the Age of Global Terrorism, said that fishing is a brutal business and these trawlers are more powerful than the Somali fisherman and they basically chase them out of the waters. He further said that to the fishermen, these ships are the pirates. With no government to defend them, they took to the seas themselves.
It is told that the fishermen formed a “coastguard,” teaming up with local militias and warlords to scare off the foreign pirates or demand “taxes.” Of course, the motives of the Somali pirates aren’t completely altruistic. What started as a form of vigilante defense has become organized crime. They’ve been known to steal from local fishermen, too. Bigger business means bolder action. In recent months they’ve travelled out of Somali waters and attacked legal vessels.
