The issue of piracy in Somalia is a complex one, and not
something I have considered very thoroughly in the past. When I hear the word “pirate” I think of
Captain Hook and Black Beard, the traditional pirates who scavenged ships for
money and their own personal gain, leaving behind no survivors. The Somalian pirates make an interesting case
for the legitimacy of their actions; claiming that protection of environmental
resources on the Somali coast and feeding Somali people make them more of
“Coast guards” than pirates. They even
turn and the tables and claim that the individuals dumping in Somali waters and
fishing without permission are the true pirates.
In a country like Somalia, with an
immense lack of government control, the need for citizen-led patrolling of
coasts almost seems to justify the pirates’ actions. Despite this, there are several factors that
prove the pirates are not quite as selfless as they claim to be. I think the solution would be to form a
legitimate coast guard in Somalia, supported by international powers and the
United Nations—this would take away any legitimate claims Somali pirates have
for pirating, while helping protect Somalia’s environmental resources.
I am a bit
of an idealist, and I would love to believe that Somali pirates are really just
misunderstood “Robin Hoods” of the sea, trying to feed poor villagers and
protect the environment from international ships attempting to exploit Somali
waters. Unfortunately, there is a lot of
evidence to the contrary. At the end of
class Professor Shirk and others debunked the pirates’ claims that they are
just a “Coast Guard” by pointing out that they are more prone to target large
ships with expensive cargo instead of illegal fishermen, and that their
activity has expanded far away from Somalia’s coast. In addition, the pure fact that they use
violence and kidnapping makes them much less legitimate in my eyes, and the
eyes of the international community.
Still,
according to our readings and the perspective of villagers, parliament members,
and the Somali pirates themselves, the pirates are Somalia’s only real
mechanism for patrolling their water.
Though their means are questionable, villagers seem to depend on them
for food and the government lacks resources to protect their coast from fishing
and dumping by unauthorized ships.
Unfortunately, piracy is not an appropriate solution to this problem.
International
regulators from the United Nations and the United Kingdom frame this issue as almost a “terrorist”
problem. They call the Somali pirates’
actions a “stain on the world.” I don’t
believe this is the most effective way to frame the issue. I also don’t think that targeting the pirates
and calling for them to be stopped is the most effective method of ending
Somali piracy. I think the true solution
requires digging down to the source of the problem: Somalia does not have a
legitimate coast guard and their coasts are being over-exploited. The pirates use this as an excuse for piracy
and attempt to justify their actions because of the need for a coast
guard. Therefore, if a legitimate coast
guard is set up by international powers and universally recognized and
respected, the pirates can no longer justify their actions.
I think a
more effective solution would be for the UN and other international powers with
effective coast guards and Navy’s, such as Norway and the United States, should
help set up and enforce a coastal patrol body in Somalia who enforce the rules
and the exclusive economic zone through legitimate means. Obviously, Somalia on its own cannot set up
and enforce an effective coast guard, but if the UN and powerful countries aided
them and supported their exclusive economic zone, the international community
would follow suit. This would also help
control pirating because pirates could no longer use the excuse that they are
working as a coast guard in an area where there is none. Instead, any acts of pirating in the region
would be just that, illegal piracy without any legitimate purpose.
I think you make a great point and you addressed the right issue- by focusing on the root of the problem and tailoring it to how the pirates view their roles. I think this approach could also be effective because, if piracy were to continue with their excuse for acting as a coast guard no longer valid, the issue about pirating for profit (if that is a motive) could be identified and addressed. I think its unlikely that profit isn't a factor, so a method such as this could expose that factor as it is and prevent pirates from targeting ships for profit.
ReplyDeleteI think the way you look at this issue definitely puts it in a new light. I know that in a lot of developing areas where you can't depend on the government to patrol or protect, citizens take matters into their own hands. I recently learned about a vigilante group in Nigeria that was glorified in society because they would go after burglars to promote justice. Of course, in this example as well as piracy, I think it can quickly transition from protecting the community to using violence for their own gains.
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