 |
|
| Science Forum Index » Medicine Forum » Need to control population.... |
|
Page 1 of 1 |
|
| Author |
Message |
| David P.... |
 Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:18 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
Somali pirates: Western boats 'loot' Somali fish
Oct 31 2009
By Mohamed Olad Hassan - AP
Mogadishu, Somalia— Somali pirates who are demanding
$7 million in ransom for a British sailing couple said
Saturday that boats from other countries are plundering
Somalia's fish-rich waters. Ahmed Gadaf, who described
himself as a spokesman for the pirates, said Western
fishing vessels "harass" local fishermen and destroy
their nets. Gadaf spoke to The Associated Press by
satellite phone. Gadaf says the British couple, Paul &
Rachel Chandler, are safe and will not be harmed. The
Chandlers were headed to Tanzania in their boat, the
Lynn Rival, when a distress signal was sent Oct. 23.
The British navy found their empty yacht on Thursday,
and both have been in sporadic contact with the British
media since.
Illegal fishing off the coast of Somalia stirs strong
passions in the country. The country's prime minister,
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, said in a speech Wednesday
that many countries are fishing illegally in Somali waters
and have pushed formerly profitable Somali fishermen into
the pirate trade. He also said during Wednesday's appear-
ance at London-based Chatham House think tank that many
pirates are former fishermen "responding to the loss and
disappearance of their livelihoods." Helene Bours, an
expert on fisheries in Africa who works as a consultant
for non-governmental organizations in Africa and Europe,
said she was skeptical that international overfishing in
Somalia had a significant effect on the rise of piracy.
"The extent to which the piracy business has developed is
way beyond a few fishermen turning (into) pirates," she
said. Bours most international ships operated far from
the Somali coast in order to bring in deep-sea fish, and
would not be competing with smaller Somali fishing boats
working closer to shore. She cautioned however, that the
lack of reliable information from the chaotic country made
any assessment unreliable.
Sharmarke said he was aware of extensive foreign fishing
off Somalia's coast. "I shall not name names, but suffice
to say many countries are fishing illegally in Somali
waters," he said. "We estimate that the value of the fish
being taken from our waters is perhaps 100s of millions of
dollars." Pirate attacks have increased the last several
weeks after the recent end of the monsoon season. An int'l
armada is patrolling the region to try to stop the attacks.
..
..
-- |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
All times are GMT - 5 Hours
The time now is Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:42 am
|
|