# Somali Pirate Resurgence



## CQB (Oct 7, 2015)

Interesting take on this, as the original problem was caused by illegal fishing by EU fishing fleets taking most of the catch leaving nothing for the locals. As the larger boats have returned it may signal a resurgence of piracy just to survive. The cause of piracy in Somalia may have been caused by criminal elements from European nations getting falsified fishing licenses giving them permission to plunder.

Illegal overfishing and the return of Somalia's pirates

Two things come to mind, first is that if NATO is providing protection, which it looks like it is, it could change its' ROE to assist Somalia in keeping away illegal fishers, instead of protecting the larger fishing boats from pirates.

Counter-piracy operations

What really stands out her is that the UN in the vicinity (South Sudan) has a program that provides 'food to people isolated by crisis,' I would say that the Somalis qualify here, or may well do in the near future. In terms of security risk management, this looks like a no brainer to assist a fishing community to do what it does best, against a profligate entity, but the UN is a big ship and cannot change direction easily. I really hope that the powers that be can assist here and avert a crisis, but we'll see. Thoughts?

UN World Food Program


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## Gunz (Oct 7, 2015)

It looks like Yemen and Iran are also big offenders here. The fledgling Somali Federal Government would need a lot of money and assistance to develop a system for monitering and enforcement. In the meantime, NATO, which conducts "crisis management operations" might be tasked with this. If "averting a crisis" falls into the category of crisis management.

But with NATO warships still conducting anti-piracy in the region, could a real resurgence of piracy take place?


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## Grunt (Oct 7, 2015)

I suspect piracy will continue to happen in those areas until serious actions are taken against them that would serve as an appropriate deterrent.


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## CQB (Oct 7, 2015)

Ocoka One said:


> It looks like Yemen and Iran are also big offenders here. The fledgling Somali Federal Government would need a lot of money and assistance to develop a system for monitering and enforcement. In the meantime, NATO, which conducts "crisis management operations" might be tasked with this. If "averting a crisis" falls into the category of crisis management.
> 
> But with NATO warships still conducting anti-piracy in the region, could a real resurgence of piracy take place?


A valid point regarding the NATO presence. If there's an industry which feeds people it should be encouraged, not decimated. I may be missing something here but to me it looks like the cattle rustlers are being protects by the sherrif, and the farmer left with nowhere to go.


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## Gunz (Oct 7, 2015)

CQB said:


> A valid point regarding the NATO presence. If there's an industry which feeds people it should be encouraged, not decimated. I may be missing something here but to me it looks like the cattle rustlers are being protects by the sherrif, and the farmer left with nowhere to go.


 

From the link you posted on NATO's anti-piracy efforts, it looks that way. There's no mention of the illegal fishing problem. So for now, NATO seems unconcerned. I'm copying & pasting the recommendations from the IUU report by the University of Rhode Island and the Transafrica Consultancy. This at least is what they suggest as a start:


*"Recommendations 
*
_Analysis of the survey data has indicated a great deal of perceived illegal fishing, by both foreigners and Somalis. Results of the analysis show that Somalia’s strategy to combat illegal fishing may require a multi-faceted approach. Clearly, the problem of IUU fishing should be raised at regional meetings as Somalia’s neighbors seem to be behaving badly in their own backyard. Recommendations to help deter IUU fishing include, but are not limited to the following: 

 Sign/ratify FAO’s Port State Measures Agreement to combat IUU fishing, and International Plan of Action (IPOA) to 
*prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing*. 

 
*Update *existing *fisheries laws *and enact new ones by coordinating Federal and States laws to enable uniform enforcement and to simplify data and revenue collection, analysis and distribution. _

 _Introduce Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) system at federal level for registration and licensing of foreign and domestic fishing vessels and fishermen. 

 
*Extend enforcement to include community-based approaches *providing local surveillance (more eyes) along the extensive coastline to assist Naval, Coast Guard and Marine Police patrols. 

 Establish information systems for long-term data collection and analysis for fisheries stock assessment in cooperation with FAO and other development partners. 

 Use computer-based, satellite-aided Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) to control IUU fishing vessels. 

 Decentralize fisheries administration with states authorities’ roles and jurisdiction clearly laid out. 

 Solicit support from international partners to: 

(1) Develop fisheries infrastructure, including landing sites, cold storage facilities, ice production units, quality control labs, data collection/analysis centers, MCS and VMS." _


I guessing Somalia doesn't have much in the way of a Coast Guard, so in addition to the above NATO or some kind of regional naval coalition would have to aid in enforcement until the Somali government gets the resources to enforce fishing laws in it's own territorial waters.


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## CQB (Oct 7, 2015)

True enough and thanks for posting the above.


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## AWP (Oct 8, 2015)

Slow down, guys. Are you actually suggesting that we work with a nation to improve its quality of life and thus reduce or eliminate one "attack vector" for terrorism? Isn't there a local warlord or twenty we could just arm and let the problem "solve itself?" Arming despots to avoid dirtying our hands has worked well so far.


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## Bypass (Oct 8, 2015)

Freefalling said:


> Slow down, guys. Are you actually suggesting that we work with a nation to improve its quality of life and thus reduce or eliminate one "attack vector" for terrorism? Isn't there a local warlord or twenty we could just arm and let the problem "solve itself?" Arming despots to avoid dirtying our hands has worked well so far.


I like your sense of humor man. I wish I had a like button.


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## Gunz (Oct 8, 2015)

Bypass said:


> I like your sense of humor man. I wish I had a like button.


 
Often enough beneath his sarcasm and humor lies the sad truth.


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## SpitfireV (Oct 8, 2015)

Are the pirates generally Somali or Puntlandians? For lack of the correct work. Puntland seems to be working well enough and functioning, unlike Somalia.


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## Marauder06 (Oct 8, 2015)

The "overfishing" trope is just the latest tired excuse for Somali piracy.  It used to be "they're dumping toxins off our shores!" Then it was "we have to turn to piracy, because no one will help us stabilize our country!"  And now it's "overfishing," again.  People in Somalia are turning to piracy for the same reasons they always have:  because it pays.  Believing that overfishing causes Somali piracy is like believing finding people jobs will cure Islamic terrorism.  Neither are true.  Are we to believe that if there was a crackdown on foreign fishing, that pirates would turn in their guns and pick up fishing nets? Nope, they'd just trot out some other, newer excuse to rationalize away their criminality and generate misplaced sympathy.


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## SpitfireV (Oct 8, 2015)

I don't know if I agree. There is very good money to be made in fishing and it's obviously far less risk and more consistent income than piracy.


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## AWP (Oct 8, 2015)

Marauder06 said:


> The "overfishing" trope is just the latest tired excuse for Somali piracy.  It used to be "they're dumping toxins off our shores!" Then it was "we have to turn to piracy, because no one will help us stabilize our country!"  And now it's "overfishing," again.  People in Somalia are turning to piracy for the same reasons they always have:  because it pays.  Believing that overfishing causes Somali piracy is like believing finding people jobs will cure Islamic terrorism.  Neither are true.  Are we to believe that if there was a crackdown on foreign fishing, that pirates would turn in their guns and pick up fishing nets? Nope, they'd just trot out some other, newer excuse to rationalize away their criminality and generate misplaced sympathy.



I agree if we're talking about the core group of pirates. The passive supporters and less militant pirates could be eliminated or marginalized. That shrinks the pool of assholes to deal with.


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## Gunz (Oct 9, 2015)

Marauder06 said:


> The "overfishing" trope is just the latest tired excuse for Somali piracy.  It used to be "they're dumping toxins off our shores!" Then it was "we have to turn to piracy, because no one will help us stabilize our country!"  And now it's "overfishing," again.  People in Somalia are turning to piracy for the same reasons they always have:  because it pays.  Believing that overfishing causes Somali piracy is like believing finding people jobs will cure Islamic terrorism.  Neither are true.  Are we to believe that if there was a crackdown on foreign fishing, that pirates would turn in their guns and pick up fishing nets? Nope, they'd just trot out some other, newer excuse to rationalize away their criminality and generate misplaced sympathy.


 

And here I was actually starting to think proactively. They are, after all, _Pirates. _And still apparently holding hostages.


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## Regulator3 (Oct 9, 2015)

Marauder is spot on. It doesn't matter if its fishing or piracy or Amway -- people in Somalia are going to go where the best paycheck is, legal or illegal. I think the other thing to remember is that the "legal/illegal" fishing is a very complicated grey area. In many, if not most cases, those fishing fleet firms obtained a license in order to start -- from who and under what authority is the big question. With such limited rule of law on a national level for so long, it gets cloudy pretty quickly as to what exactly a legitimate fishing license is. Those EU fishing fleets had to check the box and get a license for their insurance purposes if nothing else, and I'm confident they obtained an official one, even if they got it from a corrupt agent (which is often normal business in Africa) who had no authority to issue it, even if such an authority existed at the time.


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## Marauder06 (Oct 9, 2015)

Piracy pays off in money and prestige in ways that fishing never could.  It's just the latest invented grievance.


Piracy and terrorism: why Somalia?


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## CQB (Oct 13, 2015)

Nice, I'm quite OK with having my point of view changed.


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## Gunz (Oct 13, 2015)

Routine Activity Theory applied to Somali piracy

Preventing Piracy off Somalia: Insights from Routine Activity Theory | PIRACY STUDIES


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## Florida173 (Oct 13, 2015)

Our president would probably suggest they just need some more jobs


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## CQB (Oct 13, 2015)

Ocoka One said:


> Routine Activity Theory applied to Somali piracy
> 
> Preventing Piracy off Somalia: Insights from Routine Activity Theory | PIRACY STUDIES



Interesting article, thanks.


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## Etype (Oct 14, 2015)

Fucking NATO and it's globalist socialist meddling. 

Here's my libertarian solution- stay out of Somali waters. If pirates bother a ship flagged by your nation in international waters fucking sink it.

What international body really has the right to enforce fishing in international waters? I know there are some that think/claim they do, but put your American rebellious hat on and think about who really owns the ocean...


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## Marauder06 (Oct 14, 2015)

NATO and the UN serve capitalist purposes too.  It's the tragedy of the commons; if no one takes ownership of something, then everyone uses it to exhaustion and it's lost to everyone.   Failing to control fishing, for example, results in overfishing, and then no one has fish in the long run.  No one "owns" the ocean, which is why we all have to protect it.


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## Brill (Oct 15, 2015)

Etype said:


> Fucking NATO and it's globalist socialist meddling.
> 
> Here's my libertarian solution- stay out of Somali waters. If pirates bother a ship flagged by your nation in international waters fucking sink it.
> 
> *What international body really has the right to enforce fishing in international waters?* I know there are some that think/claim they do, but put your American rebellious hat on and think about who really owns the ocean...



The Atlantic EEZ extends 200 miles off NC!


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