Zamaneh Media
  • Latest Articles
  • Latest News
  • About Zamaneh Media
    • Exiled Media Report
    • Sponsors
    • Donate
    • Contact us
    • Legal
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest Articles
  • Latest News
  • About Zamaneh Media
    • Exiled Media Report
    • Sponsors
    • Donate
    • Contact us
    • Legal
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Zamaneh Media
No Result
View All Result

Illegal fishing, piracy and poverty

by Zamaneh Media
April 11, 2012
in Latest Articles
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Illegal fishing, piracy and poverty
Bijan Rohani

Is unauthorized and overfishing by European and Chinese fishing vessels connected with the growth of piracy in Africa?

Recently fishing unions in Senegal in West Africa warned that if unauthorized fishing by foreign trawlers in their waters is not reined in, piracy could take hold in Senegal and it could end up becoming an international threat to shipping like Somalia. The economic losses resulting from pirate attacks in Somalia is estimated at ten billion dollars.

The FAO, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, maintains that all the aquatic resources of West Africa have been exploited to the full capacity and even beyond. And currently over one and half million local residents of the region, whose lives depend on these resources, are facing deep economic hardship. Statistics reveal that European fishing vessels catch over 235 thousand tons of fish between the waters of Mauritania and Morocco alone while tens of thousands of tons are also caught with giant nets in the waters of Sierra Leone, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau and other countries.


Poverty and Lack of Security in Somalia

The origin of piracy in Somalia goes back to the 1990s when the Siad Barre regime fell from power resulting in the disintegration of the navy and coastal guards.

At that time tens of thousands of people whose lives faced dire difficulties due to severe droughts and poverty in Somalia turned to coastal areas and formed fishing communities to provide for their needs and thus fishing became their only means of survival. When civil war broke out in Somalia, foreign fishing vessels began entering Somali waters illegally and catching large volumes of rock-lobster and other warm water fish along the tip of the Horn of Africa.

Finally Somali coastal residents who saw their livelihoods threatened by foreign trawlers took up arms and became a kind of coast guard. This however led to the creation of piracy in these waters. In time, ransom payments to poor fishermen of Somalia by these foreign fishing vessels encouraged the escalation of pirate attacks.

On the other hand illegal fishing vessels approached Somali warlords in order to seek protection from the bandits and thus a number of ships continued their illegal fishing activities with armed Somali militiamen on board.

In the meantime discharge of toxic and chemical waste into Somali waters by foreign ships caused serious damage to marine ecosystem of these waters also producing a negative effect on local fishing.

Therefore illegal exploitation of the natural resources, degradation of the marine environment, poverty and war created a vicious cycle of corruption, theft and destruction in Somalia.

Some analysts like the British defence and security think tank the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies which has conducted a study of Somali piracy say that overfishing is not the only cause of piracy in Somalia and East Africa.

They claim that piracy has come into existence as a means of generating income by armed groups and their claims about protecting fishing in the coastal regions has been used merely as an excuse to legitimize their actions in the eyes of the local residents.

According to this institute, piracy in Somalia has become the biggest maritime threat since the Second World War.

The British daily Guardian also published a detailed article on this topic on April 3. This article focuses on comparing the warnings issued by Senegalese fishers with the past warnings by Somali fishers and it concludes that the current warnings about the influx of Chinese, European and Russian fishing trawlers in North, East and West of Africa should be taken seriously.

In 2006 Somali fishers would say that illegal fishing trawlers not only deplete natural and aquatic resources, they also use various methods to stop local fishers from their activities. According to Somali local fishers, foreigners had torn their nets and made permanent bases for themselves near the coast.

Now Senegalese fishers are stating similar statements and saying that catches are already down by 75 percent since 10 years ago because foreign illegal fishers have extensively depleted their aquatic resources and they are very worried about the approach of a big catastrophe.

Recently a number of local Senegalese fishers have warned that they will attack foreign vessels to protect their vital resources and local economy. They maintain that within the next ten years people will become armed and fishers will go fishing with guns aboard. If this happens, another vicious cycle of depleting national resources, destroying the environment, poverty and piracy will take West Africa in its clutches.

 

 

[translated from the original in Persian]
 

Previous Post

Annan wants Iran to help solve Syrian crisis

Next Post

Iran to impose sanctions on 100 European companies

Related Posts

Kidnapping Iranian Children for Sex: The Role of Patriarchy and Religion
Latest Articles

Kidnapping Iranian Children for Sex: The Role of Patriarchy and Religion

June 23, 2022
A story from Qarchak prison: the gang that sells girls’ virginity for men’s sexual pleasure
Featured Items

A story from Qarchak prison: the gang that sells girls’ virginity for men’s sexual pleasure

June 21, 2022
Mazut Production in Iran: Human and Environmental Devastation for Nothing
Featured Items

Mazut Production in Iran: Human and Environmental Devastation for Nothing

June 18, 2022
Flag of
Featured Items

Khatam Al-Anbiya, Central Headquarters: A Representation of the IRGC’s Political Ambitions and Economic Pursuits

June 14, 2022
Iranian Civil Society Calls for Support of Detained Teachers and Trade Unionists during ILO Summit
Latest Articles

Iranian Civil Society Calls for Support of Detained Teachers and Trade Unionists during ILO Summit

June 8, 2022
The Iranian Workers Protest More Wage Suppression: Download Zamaneh’s Quarterly Labor Rights Report
Latest Articles

The Iranian Workers Protest More Wage Suppression: Download Zamaneh’s Quarterly Labor Rights Report

May 29, 2022

RSS Iran in Other Media

  • Iran report: Nuclear talks with US end without deal in Qatar – KION546 - KION June 29, 2022
  • Iran report: Nuclear talks with US end without deal in Qatar - SFGATE June 29, 2022
  • Iran says guard killed at Afghan border - FRANCE 24 English June 29, 2022
  • Iran blasts the US in its human rights review - Press TV June 29, 2022
  • Israel Accuses Iran’s Guards Of Major Cyberattack Plans - ایران اینترنشنال June 29, 2022
  • Egypt warns Iran not to target Israelis on its soil — report - The Times of Israel June 29, 2022
  • Israel accuses Hezbollah, Iran of trying to hack UNIFIL - Naharnet June 29, 2022
  • Iran’s Ebadipour Signs for Allianz Milano - Tasnim News Agency June 29, 2022
  • Chicago man pleads guilty to illegally exporting US technology to Iran - The Times of Israel June 29, 2022
  • Iran, Europe, US, Russia: Who is winning energy war, who is losing - Press TV June 29, 2022
  • Daily Round-up | Iran, US to restart nuclear deal talks in Qatar & other stories - Peoples Dispatch June 29, 2022
  • Iran-Turkmenistan relations expanding rapidly: Raeisi - Mehr News Agency - English Version June 29, 2022
  • Why Israel Keeps Assassinating Iranian Officials - Foreign Policy June 29, 2022
  • Is Iran worried about an 'Arab-Israel' defensive alliance? - analysis - The Jerusalem Post June 29, 2022
  • ICCIMA hosts Iran-Poland business forum - Tehran Times June 29, 2022
  • Israel-Iran cyberwar escalates, dealing greater damage than before - Haaretz June 29, 2022
  • Iran’s President Urges Formation of Inclusive Afghan Government - Tasnim News Agency June 29, 2022
  • Iran Urges UNSC to Suspend, Lift Humanitarian Sanctions - Tasnim News Agency June 29, 2022
  • Opinion | I’m Held Hostage in Iran. President Biden, End This Nightmare. - The New York Times June 29, 2022
  • Iran among successful states in health area - Mehr News Agency - English Version June 29, 2022
Zamaneh Media

© 2020 Zamaneh Media

More information

  • Sponsors
  • Donate
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Legal

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest Articles
  • Latest News
  • About Zamaneh Media
    • Exiled Media Report
    • Sponsors
    • Donate
    • Contact us
    • Legal
  • Advertise

© 2020 Zamaneh Media