Thread by @PuntlandPirates

My third paper for @GI_TOC has gone live today.

It details illegal fishing practices in #Somalia and the capture of state institutions by illicit networks. (thread)

Many thanks to @ian_urbina // @OutlawOcean and @C4ADS for their assistance!

globalinitiative.net/analysis/illeg…

The report presents three case studies to illustrate the intersection between illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing networks and state corruption:

#1 - The environmentally destructive operations of gillnetters of Iranian origin off the #Puntland coast, abetted by a network of local agents and fisheries ministry officials.

#2 - The case of the Marwan 1, a long-haul trawler that once formed part of the notorious 'Somali 7' fleet. The vessel employed a #Kenyan crew allegedly subjected to forced labour and inhumane working conditions.

#3 - The North East Fishing Company (NEFCO), a locally owned company operating four trawlers in #Puntland waters.

NEFCO allegedly co-opted federal govt officials (including two ministers) to issue irregular documentation to facilitate the company’s seafood exports to #China.

These case studies illustrate that IUU fishing operations in Somali waters are often a product of a "public-private partnership" in transnational organized crime.

The report argues that the issuing of licenses and related documentation by competing state authorities continues to undermine the implementation of the federal-regional fisheries deal reached between the #FGS and #FMS in March 2019.

It concludes with nine recommendations aimed at disrupting IUU fishing operations in #Somalia.