The year 1991 was a sad year for Somalia; early that year, the country experienced civil war that torn the country apart and made the country ungovernable. The conflict has caused destabilization and instability throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to the rebel forces. Somali’s civil war is still an ongoing war that made Somalia a country without a central government.
The Civil war had forced millions of Somalis to flee the country. Hundreds of thousands died for disease, malnutrition and hunger. Those who stayed in the country had faced an uncertain future due to shortage of food, medicine and many other necessities.
In this period Somali fisher communities, mainly spread over the sea line of Somalia, are some of the worst affected. Somalia had one of the best naval forces in Africa; Somali Naval Force was able to protect the nation’s waters from any illegal fishers and looters. Due to the destruction of the Somali forces and specially the naval force, had attracted illegal fishing vessels and toxic dumpers to Somalia’s seas.
Besides the civil war, the Somali fisher towns and villages’ health had suffered due to the effects of the toxic waste that had been dumped at their shores. The daily catches of the Somali fishers had been reduced to nonexistent because, they had to compete with large fishing trawlers from Europe and the Asia. For many years the fishers were complaining to the world community about the problems and the challenges they were facing.
This article is a good example of the predicament faced by the fisher communities:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Somalia: Fishermen Appeal for Help over Foreign Fishing Ships
09/03/2006
Nairobi - Fishermen in Somalia have appealed to the United Nations and the international community to help them rid the country‘s southern shores of foreign ships allegedly engaged in illegal fishing.
Describing the activity as "economic terrorism", Somali fishermen told IRIN on Thursday that the ships were not only plundering the fish but were also dumping rubbish and oil into the sea. They complained the Somali government was not strong enough to stop it.
"We want the international agencies to help us deal with this problem," said Muhammad Hussein, a local fisherman from the coastal town of Marka, 100 km south of Mogadishu. "If nothing is done about them, there soon won‘t be much fish left in our coastal waters."
An estimated 700 foreign-owned vessels were engaged in unlicensed fishing in Somali waters in 2005, according to the Somali fishery country profile compiled by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). However, the agency said it was "impossible to monitor their fishery production in general, let alone the state of the fishery resources they are exploiting. There is also strong suspicion of illegal dumping of industrial and nuclear wastes along the Somali coast."
Crews of the ships had reportedly harassed and intimidated local fishermen. "They are not only taking and robbing us of our fish, but they are also trying to stop us from fishing," said Jeylani Shaykh Abdi. "They have rammed our boats and cut our nets."
Jeylani noted that the number of foreign ships had increased over time. "It is now normal to see them on a daily basis, a few miles off our shores."
The fishermen usually go out late at night to set their nets, but discover in the morning that their nets have been cut or stolen. "They are no longer satisfied to plunder our fish, but they have now started taking our nets with everything in them," Jeylani said.
He claimed that some of the foreign crews were armed and had occasionally opened fire on Somali fishing boats. There have also been reports that some Somali faction leaders have licensed foreign fishing companies and provided armed militiamen to go onboard the ships.
"[Our] existence depends on the fish," Hussein said. He accused the international community of "talking only about the piracy problem in Somalia, but not about the destruction of our coast and our lives by these foreign ships."
According to FAO, the Somali fishery sector comprises artisanal groups, which operate inshore and account for 60 percent of the landings and the industrial sub-sector. The country has a 3,330 km coastline, with major landing sites in Kismayo, Mogadishu, Eil, Bargal, Bolimog, Las Korey and Berbera. It has large species, including tuna and mackerel; smaller stocks, such as sardines; shark species and lobsters.
Somalia, which has been ravaged by war since 1991 and has no effective central government, lacks the capacity to ensure controlled exploitation of the sector or enforce fishing regulations on its own.
"In the pre-war era, especially in 1989, exports of fishery products earned US $15 million per annum. However, the civil war arrested the steady growth of this trade," the FAO country profile noted. "There is a primary need for assisting the fishery communities to regain their means of livelihood and strengthen their capacity to earn income and to generate employment।"
Low Fish Stock 09/03/2006
Nairobi - Fishermen in Somalia have appealed to the United Nations and the international community to help them rid the country‘s southern shores of foreign ships allegedly engaged in illegal fishing.
Describing the activity as "economic terrorism", Somali fishermen told IRIN on Thursday that the ships were not only plundering the fish but were also dumping rubbish and oil into the sea. They complained the Somali government was not strong enough to stop it.
"We want the international agencies to help us deal with this problem," said Muhammad Hussein, a local fisherman from the coastal town of Marka, 100 km south of Mogadishu. "If nothing is done about them, there soon won‘t be much fish left in our coastal waters."
An estimated 700 foreign-owned vessels were engaged in unlicensed fishing in Somali waters in 2005, according to the Somali fishery country profile compiled by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). However, the agency said it was "impossible to monitor their fishery production in general, let alone the state of the fishery resources they are exploiting. There is also strong suspicion of illegal dumping of industrial and nuclear wastes along the Somali coast."
Crews of the ships had reportedly harassed and intimidated local fishermen. "They are not only taking and robbing us of our fish, but they are also trying to stop us from fishing," said Jeylani Shaykh Abdi. "They have rammed our boats and cut our nets."
Jeylani noted that the number of foreign ships had increased over time. "It is now normal to see them on a daily basis, a few miles off our shores."
The fishermen usually go out late at night to set their nets, but discover in the morning that their nets have been cut or stolen. "They are no longer satisfied to plunder our fish, but they have now started taking our nets with everything in them," Jeylani said.
He claimed that some of the foreign crews were armed and had occasionally opened fire on Somali fishing boats. There have also been reports that some Somali faction leaders have licensed foreign fishing companies and provided armed militiamen to go onboard the ships.
"[Our] existence depends on the fish," Hussein said. He accused the international community of "talking only about the piracy problem in Somalia, but not about the destruction of our coast and our lives by these foreign ships."
According to FAO, the Somali fishery sector comprises artisanal groups, which operate inshore and account for 60 percent of the landings and the industrial sub-sector. The country has a 3,330 km coastline, with major landing sites in Kismayo, Mogadishu, Eil, Bargal, Bolimog, Las Korey and Berbera. It has large species, including tuna and mackerel; smaller stocks, such as sardines; shark species and lobsters.
Somalia, which has been ravaged by war since 1991 and has no effective central government, lacks the capacity to ensure controlled exploitation of the sector or enforce fishing regulations on its own.
"In the pre-war era, especially in 1989, exports of fishery products earned US $15 million per annum. However, the civil war arrested the steady growth of this trade," the FAO country profile noted. "There is a primary need for assisting the fishery communities to regain their means of livelihood and strengthen their capacity to earn income and to generate employment।"
Before they abandoned the trade, the fishers had lamented many a time the diminishing fish stock, which they said was rendering their trade a virtually wasteful e
exercise, but like an orphan, they'd no one to cry out to; no functioning government to enforce laws. Thinning of the fish population went on unabated till matters got to a head when they were compelled to find solace in piracy. They said they are unhappy being involved in piracy, but as it's advised, must survive, though the Bible says not only on bread. These fishermen nonetheless have wives, children and other yawning mouths to take care of. They were, therefore, torn between two evils.
Pirates See Their Trade as a Payback of Dumped Toxins and Stolen Fish!
Todays' world news headline are full of reports about the piracy off the coast of Somalia. known as the Horn of Africa. It is becoming a multi-million dollar industry in that part of Africa. They operate their business by hijacking international fishing and container ships passing seas surrounding Somalia under the cover of night. The latest development was the hijacking of Sirus Star, oil tanker With a l
ength overall of 1090 feet (330 m) and a capacity of 2.2 million. TheThe list is growing:
Al Jazeera English - Africa - Somali pirates capture more vessels.....
Somali pirates capture Ukrainian cargo ship loaded with military...
Somali pirates capture British cargo ship - Telegraph...Etc.......................etc...........
The question is:
Who to Blame? The Theft of the illegal fishers, the Crime of the toxic waste dumpers or the Greed of the Somali pirates!
Blog by: Abdislaam Faraah (English to Somali and Somali to English Translator and Interpreter.
Facebook:
