Anti-piracy in a sea of predation: the interaction of navies, fishermen and pirates off the coast of Somalia

ABSTRACT

How do anti-piracy forces engage with the coast of Somalia? Several studies have criticised the navies for being ineffective and stumbling in their fight against pirates and in their engagement with local communities. Somali sentiments are reportedly coloured by considerable scepticism towards the international naval effort, not least due to a feeling of double standards towards foreign trawlers seen plundering the country's resources. This study investigates the naval–coastal nexus along the Somali coast by drawing on field research off- and onshore. It finds that anti-piracy forces’ presence have had a considerable impact on the decline in piracy. Moreover, naval–coastal engagement and cooperation run deeper than is commonly perceived. While grievances against illegal fishing are widespread, examination of the fishing sector reveals a significant amount of predation committed by local stakeholders. Competition for fishing sector rents, particularly over distribution of licences, occurs on the local, regional and national levels. Bonds between some pirates, smugglers and officials threaten coastal community development and undermine their security. This study concludes that Somalia's maritime predatory trap can only be broken when former pirate villages are engaged as equal partners in the regional blue economy.

KEYWORDS:

• Piracy
• IUU fishing
• maritime predation
• Somalia
• Western Indian Ocean

Acknowledgements

I thank research assistants ‘Muse’ and ‘Isse’ for carrying out the principal coastal interviews on my behalf,¹¹ the crew of Royal Danish naval vessel HDMS Esbern Snare for generously allowing my participant-observation aboard the ship during its anti-piracy operation off the Horn of Africa¹² and the two anonymous referees for their constructive comments. I am grateful for the hospitality shown by respondents in central and northeast Somalia during the duration of the field research.¹³

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. This study uses Onuoha's (2009) definition of maritime security:

the freedom from or absence of those acts which could negatively impact on the natural integrity and resilience of any navigable waterway or undermine the safety of persons, infrastructure, cargo, vessels and other conveyances legitimately existing in, conducting lawful transactions on, or transiting through territorial and international waterways. (2009, p. 32)

2. Author's italics.

3. The Black Bay (Qooriga Negra) is the body of water between Ras Gabac and Ras Illig (De Horsey 1897, p. 551; Fritz & Borrero, 2006, p. 222).

4. Weldemichael also appears to have spoken to family members of the deceased fisherman ‘Dadir’ (Weldemichael, 2014, p. 32).

5. Mayor of Eyl on illegal fishing.

6. Formerly Ixthus, No. 7.

7. Formerly Ixthus, No. 9.

8. Interestingly, Eyl did not appear to have any hosted LLEs at the time of the author's field research.

9. Villa Somalia is the name designating the Presidential Office of the Federal Somali Government in Mogadishu.

10. The Awlyahan and Biciidyahan are sub-clans of the Ali Suleiman, itself a sub-clan of the Majerteen.

11. Field research in the Nugaal and Karkaar regions was carried out through research assistant ‘Muse’ between March and April 2014.

12. Field research aboard Royal Danish naval vessel HDMS Esbern Snare was carried out in October 2013.

13. Most coastal village interviews conducted with the aid of research assistants ‘Muse’ and ‘Isse’.