Beyond Naval Interventions in Somali Piracy

The paper assesses the limitations of naval operations like EU Naval Force Operation ATALANTA and NATO's Operation Ocean Shield in addressing the root causes of Somali piracy. It identifies illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, political instability, and youth unemployment as primary drivers of piracy. While Somalia has established a legal framework through the Somalia Maritime Resource and Security Strategy (SMRSS), the declaration of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and the Federal Somali Fisheries Law, it lacks the technical capacity—such as Vessel Monitoring Systems and a Fisheries Monitoring Center—to enforce these laws. The author advocates for international navies to transition from purely military deterrents to supporting Somalia's coast guard and monitoring fishing activities to prevent a resurgence of piracy.

• Military operations such as the European Union Naval Force Operation ATALANTA and NATO's Operation Ocean Shield, alongside shipping industry protection measures and the establishment of regional prosecution centres in Kenya and Seychelles, reduced piracy attacks but failed to address the underlying causes.
• Somali piracy is driven by political instability, high youth unemployment, and a sense of exploitation caused by Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in Somali waters.
• There is an inverse relationship between piracy levels and IUU fishing; the decline in pirate attacks has led to an increase in illegal foreign fishing trawlers, which outcompete local Somali fishers using small vessels.
• Despite establishing a legal basis for fisheries governance through the 2013 Somalia Maritime Resource and Security Strategy (SMRSS), the 2014 declaration of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and the 2014 Federal Somali Fisheries Law, Somalia lacks the institutional structures and technology—including a Fisheries Monitoring Center, Vessel Monitoring System, and Automatic Identification System (AIS)—to effectively monitor and control its waters.
• To prevent the resurgence of piracy, international efforts must shift toward supporting Somalia's political and socio-economic development and assisting the national navy and coast guard in maritime governance and fisheries crime enforcement.

APA

Osei-Tutu, J. A. (2015). Beyond Naval Interventions in Somali Piracy. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/research/beyond-naval-interventions-in-somali-piracy/

Chicago

Osei-Tutu, Joana Ama. Beyond Naval Interventions in Somali Piracy. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/research/beyond-naval-interventions-in-somali-piracy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Osei-Tutu |first1=Joana Ama |title=Beyond Naval Interventions in Somali Piracy |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=27 September 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/beyond-naval-interventions-in-somali-piracy/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{oseitutu2015beyond, author = {Osei-Tutu, Joana Ama}, title = {{Beyond Naval Interventions in Somali Piracy}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/beyond-naval-interventions-in-somali-piracy/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }