International Piracy: Who Is Truly Robbed?

            Throughout the evolving dialogue of the past several weeks, the consideration of environmental degradation as a threat to national security has been both legitimized and reinforced.  While I firmly believe that there exists an inherent link between the ability of the state to continue and the stability of their environmental resources and climate, it is worth questioning the degree to which a state should act in order to protect the well-being of the environment to allow for the preservation of the state. In a controversial case study regarding the incidences of piracy (as defined by the international community as a whole) by Somalian fisherman, the question of state protection interfering with human rights is one which demands to be answered. Though scholars more greatly bound to the realist perspective may argue that any lengths of precautionary measures on the part of the state are appropriate to protect the continuance of that state, I would argue that when humanitarian rights are compromised on a recurring, international level, the state’s perceived threat to national security should become secondary to the well-being of the international community at large.     In the instance of Somali piracy, the current situation lacks a clear action pattern to be taken by international regimes such as the United Nations due to the varied dialogues from both parties involved. From the perspective of the Somali pirates themselves, their actions in seizing and taking hostage of foreign ships in Somalian waters are legitimate and well-deserved. In fact, the Somalian fisherman identify the true “sea bandits” as the illegal poachers who rob the Somalian people of their vital fishing resources, and the shipping companies that continually dump waste into Somalian waters, further harming their primary economic activity. In response to this threat to the well-being of the economic and environmental sanctity of the Somalian people, the fisherman and unofficial “coastguards” of Somalia seize the ships and persons they identify as the perpetrators. Regardless of how you view the situation, neither party is entirely faultless in their actions. The exploitation of Somalian resources and degradation of their waters by foreign entities is undoubtedly something which needs to be handled, but is the violation of human rights truly the answer? 

            Any international regime which values the sanctity of human lives and their well-being would answer this question vehemently and bemoan the actions of Somalian fishermen in their efforts to protect their environmental and economic well-being; the value of human lives within the international community at large is not something which can or needs to be compromised for the national insecurity of one state. It is necessary for an international regime to make efforts to combat this culture of violence which has been perpetuated within the Somali people since the early nineties, as well as incentivize international companies to change their actions in the poaching and flagrant pollution of Somalian resources. The well-being of the international community cannot fall to the wayside as a state attempts to reclaim control over their resources, and for this reason I think stricter regulation of the fishing habits of foreign entities in Somalia, as well as educational opportunities within Somalia are necessary. In order to combat the exploitive actions of foreign companies in Somalia, international regimes such as the United Nations or World Trade Organization could fine parties for partaking in the illicit abuse of Somalian resources, or restrict the sale of these products.  

With regard to halting the frequency of pirate actions on the part of the Somali people, a greater level of involvement is required than just an increased presence of naval ships. While piracy in the region has been on the decline since a sharp peak in 2011, the fact remains that the culture of violence is one which has become an accepted norm in Somalia. The retaliatory level of force is perceived as normal, and this pattern demands to be changed for the safety of the international community, economy, and basic human rights. By implementing educational programs in schools, encouraging the diversification of the Somalian economy so to allow the impoverished with means to make a living outside of piracy, and respecting the legitimate concerns of Somalis with regard to the degradation of their environment, it is possible to curb the pirate culture which has been present for so long. While the necessary actions may seem idealist on both party sides, the compromise we currently face is not one worth making; human rights cannot be subservient to the well-being of a given state, and the international system can eradicate this problem by effectively intervening on both sides of the problem.