Saturday, March 5, 2011

Nuclear and Toxic Waste Pollution in Somali Waters Contributing to Piracy


By: Zach Williamson
            When the average person imagines a pirate the first thing that comes to mind is a 1650’s, ruthless, peg-legged, bearded man who pillages valuables. Or maybe newer films come to mind such as Pirate’s of the Caribbean, featuring a man known as Captain Jack Sparrow, the epitome of a true pirate. In this modern day society it is hard to believe piracy is still lurking in our oceans.
            In Somali waters, piracy has been becoming an ever-increasing concern since the fall of the Somali government in 1991. According to Gary E. Weir, author of “Fish, Family, and Profit: Piracy and the Horn of Africa,” piracy has increased by nearly 168% since the turn of the century. Delving further into the issue, it has become apparent that one of the main causes of this increase in piracy is the dumping of toxic waste off the Somali coast.
            After the Somali government collapsed, “…mysterious European ships started appearing off the coast of Somalia, dumping vast barrels into the ocean,” says Johann Hari, columnist of the London Independent. Sickness soon followed in the population around the coast as people contracted rashes, and nausea from the polluted water. To make things worse in 2005 a tsunami hit the shore of Somalia, bringing with it hundreds of dumped barrels from the depths of the ocean. Many acquired radiation poisoning, and more than 300 died.
            It is this illegal dumping of nuclear and toxic materials that have fueled many fisherman to convert to piracy. The pollution has limited fishing in the area, and foreign ships have been looting the fish that are salvageable. Hari states, “More than $300m worth of tuna, shrimp, lobster and other sea-life is being stolen every year by vast trawlers illegally sailing into Somalia's unprotected seas. The local fishermen have suddenly lost their livelihoods, and they are starving.” In an attempt to gain their waters back, Somali fishermen are taking action against those who steal from and pollute their waters.
            Sources:

Hari, Johann. "You Are Being Lied to About Pirates." The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 4 Jan. 2009. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/you-are-being-lied-to-abo_b_155147.html>.
Weir, Gary E. "Fish, Family, and Profit: Piracy and the Horn of Africa." Naval War College Press, 2009. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. <http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA519361&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf>.

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