The Whistle of a Distant Train

An interesting proposition in light of all the recent news about pirate attacks off Somalia...what helped create this phenomenon? It turns out it might be overfishing and perhaps illegal dumping. Somalia has been bereft of a functioning government for nearly twenty years, leaving it without any functioning entity to regulate its fisheries or prevent encroachment by foreign fishing vessels in its territorial waters. After years of excessive overfishing, fish stocks became so low that the Somalis were basically being fished out of existence. The armed raids were initially launched by disgruntled coastal fisherman as an effort to drive foreign fishing vessels from Somali coastal waters, or at a minimum to collect some sort of tax. The piracy trend has continued to expand from the lack of alternative industries for economic growth, the huge potential payoffs and the general desperation of a life in violence-wracked Eastern Africa. I think it's an interesting example of how environmental problems can have foreign affairs, trade and national security implications.