Page 143 - Conflitti Militari e Popolazioni Civili - Tomo II

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fish species to be found off the coast of Somalia attracts a growing number of poachers. In
2006 the “Somaliland Coastguard” captured nine Yemeni fishing boats (they were released
shortly afterwards) as they claimed that up to 200 Yemeni boats illegally fish in their wa-
ters. Despite the high risk, Taiwanese and South Korean fishermen often poach lucrative
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yellow-fin tuna. Some vessels were captured by Somali “coastal patrols”, like the South
Korean Dongwon-ho, which was released after paying US$800 000 (a “fine” to the Somali’s
and “ransom” to the South Koreans). Such incidents might be seen as piracy, but Somali
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sources claim they are just protecting their fishing resources.
Effect on the Marine Environment: Pollution
A real environmental concern is illegal waste dumping off the Somali coast. As Somalia
is easy to reach and because of low public awareness, influential locals allowed an unknown
quantity of toxic waste to be dumped in Somali waters (usually in exchange for foreign
currency). This practice was clearly illustrated when, after the Asian tsunami, broken haz-
ardous waste containers washed ashore in Somalia. according to the UN environmental
Programme, Somalia became a dumping ground for hazardous in the early 1990’s. Organised
crime in Italy was linked to it as European companies were offered the opportunity to dispose
of waste at a much cheaper rate (as low as $2.50 compared to $250 a ton). it is uncertain
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if illegal waste dumping continues, but a UN report (dated February 2005) warned that it can
have serious health implications as the type of waste might includes uranium and radioac-
tive waste, leads, heavy metals like cadmium and mercury as well as industrial, hospital and
chemical wastes. Due to the little available information about the extent of such dumping, the
exact impact cannot be calculated. 27
Due to the large quantity of oil that moves to Suez, the scourge of piracy, the asymmetri-
cal threat and the regular attacks on fuel tankers, the risk of an accident at sea is high. As the
attack on the Limburg incident indicates, real potential therefore exists for a major oil spill,
which can result in pollution of coastal waters and an environmental fiasco.

Lack of Maritime Sovereignty
Countries require maritime sovereignty in order to benefit from the sea. The basic duty
of a navy is to exercise maritime sovereignty, while coastguards add to order at sea and the
ability of a country to maintain its sovereignty within its territorial waters. These are vi-
tal issues, specifically as states must protect their own maritime territory and citizens from
threat. However, it is a fundamental principle of international law that sovereignty must be
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24 ‘Stealing My Fish, Adding Insult to Economic Injury’, Somaliland Net, 20 March 2006, in http://www.
somalilandnet.com/somaliland_voice/articles/13371692.shtml.
25 ‘The battle against illegal fishing off east Africa’s coast’, The Economist, 3 August 2006,
26 ‘Waste Dumping off Somali Coast May Have Links to Mafia, Somali Warlords’, Voice of America, 15
March 2005, in http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-03/2005-03-15-voa34.cfm?CFID=2218338
98&CFTOKEN=44002112.
27 ‘National Rapid Environmental Desk Assessment – Somalia’, UN Environmental Programme, 2006,
in http://www.unep.org/tsunami/reports/TSUNAMI_SOMALIA_LAYOUT.pdf and ‘Somalia’s degrading
environment’, EDC News, 2001, in http://www.edcnews.se/Reviews/Elmi2001.rtf.
28 G. till, Seapower. A Guide for the Twenty-First Century (Frank Cass, London, 2004) p.328.