D
I feel pretty ignorant because I had no idea that this was the other side to the Somali piracy story. I always assumed there was something going on behind the scenes that wasn't being properly elucidated to the Western public, but I had no idea it was something as serious as this. Granted, this article is written in poor English and made me question its validity at first, but there is a link to Greenpeace that explains things in clearer English. While I don't necessarily agree with the actions of Greenpeace activists who tend to see things in black and white when in reality the world is a lot more complicated than that, they don't pull shit out of their ass, so this story has been upgraded to "credible" in my book. It also doesn't surprise me that governments would be turning a blind eye to this because after all its an easy way to get what they want (tuna, shrimp, etc). Thanks again for the information Zare.
This was also an interesting read: http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/3-toxic-waste-behind-somali-pirates/
This was also an interesting read: http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/3-toxic-waste-behind-somali-pirates/
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Well done Zare for bringing this issue back to the light. I'd like to point out some other sources, this forum included.
The Chicago Tribune said in 2008: "Off the lawless coast of Somalia, questions of who is pirating who" -> http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...1_somalia-ground-for-industrial-waste-pirates
At the bottom of Zare's article there is a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy_in_Somalia
Both the illegal fishing and the toxic waste are part of that article.
More about Somalian piracy on this forum:
http://forum.maidenfans.com/threads/killed-a-pirate-in-a-knife-fight.21001/
In that topic, Perun touches the core of the problem (incidentally only 15 days before Zare's article was published
):
The Chicago Tribune said in 2008: "Off the lawless coast of Somalia, questions of who is pirating who" -> http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...1_somalia-ground-for-industrial-waste-pirates
At the bottom of Zare's article there is a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy_in_Somalia
Both the illegal fishing and the toxic waste are part of that article.
More about Somalian piracy on this forum:
http://forum.maidenfans.com/threads/killed-a-pirate-in-a-knife-fight.21001/
In that topic, Perun touches the core of the problem (incidentally only 15 days before Zare's article was published
):
I just remembered that about a year ago, I saw a film called "Les damnés de la mer" (The damned of the Sea). Here is the official website including information on the film and its content: http://www.thedamnedofthesea.com/
It is a documentary about villagers in southern Morocco (or better said, Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara) who try to make a living off fishing. They are facing restrictions from a Morocco-EU treaty that bans them from fishing for a certain time of the year so the fish population can regenerate. However, there is a Swedish-owned trawler that got a special permit and is essentially fishing the sea empty as the fishers watch. As with most documentaries these days, the film is very well-made with regards to visual manipulation and any sort of implication, so I did some research that led me to conclude that what is being presented there comes quite close to reality. That has led me to think that what we are seeing there might resemble Somalia ca. 30 years ago. So I would not be too surprised if our governments, including the Moroccan one of course, are breeding the next pirate coast right at Europe's doorstep.
It is a documentary about villagers in southern Morocco (or better said, Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara) who try to make a living off fishing. They are facing restrictions from a Morocco-EU treaty that bans them from fishing for a certain time of the year so the fish population can regenerate. However, there is a Swedish-owned trawler that got a special permit and is essentially fishing the sea empty as the fishers watch. As with most documentaries these days, the film is very well-made with regards to visual manipulation and any sort of implication, so I did some research that led me to conclude that what is being presented there comes quite close to reality. That has led me to think that what we are seeing there might resemble Somalia ca. 30 years ago. So I would not be too surprised if our governments, including the Moroccan one of course, are breeding the next pirate coast right at Europe's doorstep.