Europeans dumping toxic waste and illegally fishing Somali waters - puts a whole different spin on the Somali 'Pirates' (interview, wage)

[KRAMERCAT]

""Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. There is also lead, and heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury - you name it." Much of it can be traced back to European hospitals and factories, who seem to be passing it on to the Italian mafia to "dispose" of cheaply."

At the same time, other European ships have been looting Somalia's seas of their greatest resource: seafood. We have destroyed our own fish-stocks by over-exploitation - and now we have moved on to theirs. More than $300m worth of tuna, shrimp, lobster and other sea-life is being stolen every year by vast trawlers illegally sailing into Somalia's unprotected seas. The local fishermen have suddenly lost their livelihoods, and they are starving. Mohammed Hussein, a fisherman in the town of Marka 100km south of Mogadishu, told Reuters: "If nothing is done, there soon won't be much fish left in our coastal waters."

"This is the context in which the men we are calling "pirates" have emerged. Everyone agrees they were ordinary Somalian fishermen who at first took speedboats to try to dissuade the dumpers and trawlers, or at least wage a 'tax' on them. They call themselves the Volunteer Coastguard of Somalia - and it's not hard to see why. In a surreal telephone interview, one of the pirate leaders, Sugule Ali, said their motive was "to stop illegal fishing and dumping in our waters... We don't consider ourselves sea bandits. We consider sea bandits [to be] those who illegally fish and dump in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas." William Scott would understand those words."

You Are Being Lied to About Pirates | CommonDreams.org

[Ghengis]

Well that's just terrible! I would have looked at the link but I decided to pick up dog crap in my yard in the dark instead.

[chielgirl]

"Europe" is comprised of a lot of countries.
If this is true (and I have no doubt that it is), name the countries and provide proof.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by chielgirl

"Europe" is comprised of a lot of countries.
If this is true (and I have no doubt that it is), name the countries and provide proof.

Read the article..it's "companies" not "countries".

[KRAMERCAT]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

Read the article..it's "companies" not "countries".

I was all for blasting them to kingdom come - until I learned more about their situation.

[chielgirl]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

Read the article..it's "companies" not "countries".

Then you should have said that in your title.
"Europeans" is a stretch then.
European companies is accurate, non?

[LauraC]

Somalia is a dump because of revolving door tribal government. The reason Africa is so ass-backward is because of crooked tribal government always at war with each other and everyone else.

Somalia (03/09)

[ergohead]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

Well that's just terrible! I would have looked at the link but I decided to pick up dog crap in my yard in the dark instead.

Sounds like the best thing for you to do.

[KRAMERCAT]

Originally Posted by ergohead

sounds like the best thing for you to do.

lol!

[MIKEETC]

So how doeshijacking ships and taking the ships' crews hostage solve this environmental problem...?