They terrorized the waters by sailing in skiffs and dinghies, hijacking cargo ships, kidnapping crew members and keeping them hostage for ransoms.

Hence, former fishermen joined hands with the militia and unemployed youth to hijack vessels and demand ransom. Adversity prompted the Somalis to test new ways of making money to support their livelihoods. They depleted the fisheries in these territorial waters and polluted them by dumping nuclear and toxic wastes. Illegal foreign fishing trawlers outmuscled those who had ventured out to sea. Somalia has the longest coast in Africa, but Somalis have never exploited the potential of their seas for various reasons. Coast of Somalia and the Business of Piracy The remittance from the Somali Diaspore Community and aid from international humanitarian organizations keep the economy going. Those with ideas and resources galore are thriving entrepreneurs minting tax-free profits, while the majority can hardly make ends meet. Economic policies are balanced by demand and supply. Somalia witnesses political instability, though it has the freest liberated open market economy in the world, with no central bank to control the money supply, set interest rates or control inflation. The income gap between the minority elite and the poor has widened tremendously. A tiny percentage of the population who are farmers had to witness the decrease in their yield of crops due to soil erosion, lack of fertilizers and instability. Still, natural disasters have wiped out massive portions of their livestock, leaving them stranded with no alternative income to support their families. Many Somalis are nomads who eke out their meagre livelihood from their flocks. Those who did not defect to other lands had to endure destitution, prolonged drought, desertification and soil erosion. The inhabitants of Somalia are mostly Sunni Muslims. Why can’t ships defend themselves from pirates efficiently? Can cruise ships defend themselves against pirates? What led to the rise of Piracy in Somalia? Are Somalian waters safe for navigation now? Piracy off the Somali Coast No longer a threat to Shipping.Irresponsible Government, Unattended People, and Eradicating Piracy.Coast of Somalia and the Business of Piracy.

Pirate waters