In 1991, the government of Somalia collapsed. Foreign nations seized the opportunity to begin looting the country's food supply and using the country's unguarded waters as a dumping ground for nuclear and other toxic waste.
Yes dumping nuclear waste directly into the ocean. According to the High Seas Task Force (HSTF), there were over 800 IUU fishing vessels in Somali waters at one time in 2005, taking advantage of Somalia's inability to police and control its own waters and fishing grounds.
Poaching in these waters has become a serious problem. Unidentified vessels poach an estimated $450 million in seafood from Somali waters annually.
In so doing, they steal an invaluable protein source from some of the world's poorest people and ruin the livelihoods of legitimate fishermen.
Unfortunately, the UN and the region's maritime authorities are ignoring the violations.
One of the biggest mainstream media stories of the year in the U.S. was the kidnapping of American captain Richard Phillips by the “Somali Pirates.”
Nothing is mentioned of the current poaching and nuclear waste problems in the waters.
Sources:
Al Jazeera English, October 11, 2008
Title: “Toxic waste behind Somali piracy”
Author: Najad Abdullahi
Huffington Post, January 4, 2009
Title: “You are being lied to about pirates”
Author: Johann Hari
