The MSM are picking up the Somalia toxic dumping story!

[NorthernSpy]

For instance:

In the Boston Globe...

The pirate trade grew from two sources: economic desperation and the anger of Somalis at foreign - mostly European - fishing trawlers taking $300 million per year worth of tuna, shrimp, and lobster out of Somali waters. That anger only grew when the tsunami of 2005 washed leaking barrels of radioactive materials and other hazardous waste onto Somali shores, sickening the locals. To Somalis, it didn't matter that shady European firms may have paid off a warlord to dump the waste. The problem was that Europeans were exploiting Somalia's inability to protect its waters and its people.

Once initial harassing actions by local fishermen against foreign boats intruding in Somalia's waters were transformed into crimes of piracy, the anarchy of Somalia became a crisis of international law and order. The only long-term remedy will come through a stable government and economic development that can relieve Somalia's crushing poverty.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2009/04/14/not_just_a_pirate_movie/


The issues of resource-theft and toxic dumping are also mentioned in a column in the Philladelphia Inquirer:

The piracy issue off Somalia is not a new one. It came to the forefront after the collapse of the Somali government in 1991. The World Bank estimates that three-fourths of the country's population lives on less than $2 a day. Consequently, many residents turned to fishing to feed their families. But fishermen complained of European and Asian ships streaming along their coastline in search of lobster, shrimp, and tuna.

Other ships used Somali waters as a dumping ground for toxic waste, often paying local warlords to allow them to come and go as they pleased. It wasn't long before local fishermen discovered they could make far more money by hijacking big ships loaded with cargo than they could by catching fish. Thus, a new industry was born.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20090416_Beyond_the_Spin__Piracy_is_but_a_symptom.html


This follows coverage of this aspect of the pirate story that had previously appeared in left media such as Democracy Now and Dollars&Sense, and in black media such as Black Star News.


So to everyone who has been following this story and raising awareness about it, keep up the good work. We CAN change the conversation -- we already have!

[valerief]

1. K&R

:kick:

[Coffee and Cake]

2. Even if this is true

Their continued use of deadly force is only going to escalate the situation.

[derby378]

3. Would piracy really be reduced if offshore pollution were halted?

There's a tangled web of economic and political instability that still needs to be dealt with. But good on these outlets for at least talking about the situation.

[Captain Hilts]

5. It's no excuse for the lawlessness, but it's an issue we need to address.

It's better than paying ransom.

[redqueen]

6. Although the OP's subject line leaves it out...

there is also mention of the issue of foriegn boats intruding into Somalia's waters.

If both of these issues were addressed, yes... I think it stands to reason that it would reduce piracy... and more than that, I bet it would facilitate the path to stability.

[redqueen]

4. Excellent news...

that really is surprising and encouraging.

Thanks for posting this.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Chicago Tribune covered it in Oct 2008

Somalia's lawless coastline has been ravaged by unscrupulous outsiders with impunity since the Somali government collapsed in 1991, experts say.

In the early 1990s, for example, Somalia's unpatrolled waters became a cost-free dumping ground for industrial waste from Europe. Fishing boats from Italy were reported to have ferried barrels of toxic materials to Somalia's shores and then returned home laden with illicit catches of fish. Rusting containers of hazardous waste washed up on Somali beaches as recently as 2005, after a powerful tsunami roared through.
...
Many of Somalia's angry fishermen have picked up rifles and joined the pirate mafias that have seized more than two dozen vessels off the Somali coast so far this year, maritime security experts say.

"It's almost like a resource swap," said Peter Lehr, a Somalia piracy expert at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and the editor of "Violence at Sea: Piracy in the Age of Global Terrorism." "Somalis collect up to $100 million a year from pirate ransoms off their coasts. And the Europeans and Asians poach around $300 million a year in fish from Somali waters."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-somalia-pirates_salopek1oct10,0,6155016.story

And CNN:

Handule stressed that the problem has gotten worse since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed 225,000 people in more than 10 nations, including Somalia. The problem is compounded, he said, because Somalia does not have a coast guard.

"Pirates are mostly young unemployed men, many of them fishermen who lost their boats, tackle and their jobs following the tsunami," Handule said. "They started hunting on boats, and this process went our of control. They operate in groups of up to 12-15 people, however they all have associates ashore seeking information, negotiating about ransom, etc."
...
Middleton's report also notes that Somalia's fishing industry has collapsed in the past 15 years, particularly as European, Asian and African ships increase their fishing in the area.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/10/01/piracy.terror/index.html

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Radioactive waste in the water and fish being sold

via European fishing boat "poachers"..
uggghhh.. buyer beware.

[NoSheep]

8. Great news. Maybe this is what making noise is all about. Good on those

who insist on pointing out all the facts to get to the root of a problem so a sensible solution can be found.

[TheKentuckian]

10. People have to have options.

I'm don't want to be a pirate cheerleader but you can't be surprised that some or maybe even many would go renegade with the options available over there. Few if any are Environmental Avengers but the destruction of the resources and lawlessness are still a core part of the root causes of the problem.

Small picture problem solving has led us to exactly where we are. Simple, direct, and single focused answers to large and complex problems don't usually really solve anything. Not really, anyway, more like addressing and sweeping under the rug/kicking down the road.

[Antirepubmachine]

11. Violence is never the answer

We need to open dialog with these pirates. I am sure that if they had the chance they would be on our team.

I would much rather have pirates than republicans, at least pirates go away after you pay them.

[NorthernSpy]

12. I think our credibility is at stake...

If we try to wage war on the (Somali) pirates, while turning a blind eye to the dumpers and the foreigners who are looting Somalia's fish stocks, then we will probably end up embroiled in a war with the Somali people themselves. We would be viewed as simply being on the side of the thieves and polluters -- and that would make us hypocrites and tyrants.


Obama must know about this.

[rockymountaindem]

13. This post reads like a trojan horse n.t

[NorthernSpy]

14. I choose to view it as another opportunity to get the message out...

And maybe even change one mind, or give someone something to think about that they had not previously considered.


People will always try to bait us. That goes with the territory. Whenever that happens, we just have to ignore the bait and repeat our message.

It's good practice for talking to the media.