Are Fishers the Forgotten Victims of Maritime Piracy? An Exploratory Global Analysis

Abstract

Despite the recent decline of recorded incidents globally, maritime piracy remains a significant problem in many parts of the world. Reflecting global economic inequalities, commercial interests—particularly those of the global shipping and energy sectors—have largely shaped public and academic discourse, as well as policy on piracy and other ‘blue crimes’. In this context, other potential victims, including fishers, have been largely overlooked. In this article, we aim to rebalance the dominant narrative and investigate the scope, characteristics and consequences of piracy targeting fishing vessels. To do so, we combined new data obtained through a worldwide media content analysis with a database of piracy incidents that we had developed in the framework of a broader project. Our findings show that fishers—especially those in small‐scale fisheries—are the forgotten victims of piracy. Piracy against fishers occurs much more frequently than existing reporting mechanisms indicate and is geographically widespread, manifesting itself also in areas that are not usually considered piracy ‘hot spots’. Small‐scale fishers bear the brunt of this criminal activity. The accompanying violence and property deprivation generate significant harms for the fishers and their small businesses. At the same time, piracy threatens the socio‐economic sustainability and food security of the fishers' communities. On this basis, we argue for increased awareness of this neglected threat to fishers and their communities and recommend further research, the creation of a targeted monitoring system, and the development of more inclusive policies on contemporary piracy beyond the current focus on the shipping and energy sectors.