Trading Nets for Guns: The Impact of Illegal Fishing on Piracy in Somalia

Somali piracy reached a record high level in 2008, with 111 of the 293 worldwide attacks occurring in the waters surrounding Somalia. The incidence of piracy in Somali waters almost doubled in 2009, and the Somali share of total piracy attacks worldwide increased from under 40 to over 50. Often overlooked is the initial upsurge in piracy, following the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, which contributed to a sharp increase in piracy in 2005 and again in 2008. This thesis addresses why this initial surge occurred when it did. This increase can be attributed to the transformation of the pirate business model from fishermen who started to defend themselves, to the organized crime that displaced them in 2004 due to the opportunistic behavior of warlords. A convergence of factors contributing to the conditions at the time of the tsunami had short-term effects in 2005 that were enough to provide a boost to the already increasing business model of piracy.