Somalia, Modern Pirates

For several months, from the Seychelles Islands to the coast of Somalia, Olivier Joulie went to meet fishing bosses, soldiers and even pirates... His very detailed investigations reveal the chaos that reigns in a region where fishing catches are multiplying hostages. With an area of ​​two million square kilometers, from the Indian Ocean to the Gulf of Aden, this region is one of the most dangerous. In 2009, more than two hundred ships were victims of piracy there. Giant oil tankers, cruise ships or fishing boats, no building is safe. In Port Victoria, the crew of a Spanish tuna boat does not hide their fears. Unless there is a miracle, they have only themselves to rely on to repel the pirate attacks. This is no longer the case with their French colleagues. The owners of the nine fishing vessels operating in the region have finally reached into their pockets. With an amount estimated at 2.5 million euros, they now ensure the presence of around sixty marines on board. Men ready for anything To secure the region, Europe launched Operation Atalanta in 2008. A device involving frigates and patrol aircraft. Protection that many consider insufficient. Especially since entering Somalia, and especially in Puntland, Olivier Joulie has realized that the lure of profit is driving more and more Somalis towards delinquency. They sometimes receive millions of euros to free the ships they control. The causes of this explosion of maritime crime are very clear to Sayid Aden Cade, mayor of the village of Hobyo: “Intensive fishing by large foreign vessels is destroying wildlife. They exploit our natural resources and the fish are gradually disappearing. Our fishermen, with their simple nets, have no means to fight and they are becoming poorer and poorer…” There is no reason for the pirates to immediately put away their small boats and their Kalashnikovs… Director: Olivier Joulie
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