3 - The Fishing Industry

Summary

We are now suffering the consequences of overfishing … It should be understood that the livelihood of our families is at stake. When the stomach is empty, anything can happen.

Member of Consumer Association of Penang

INTRODUCTION

On 2 February 2005, a fleet of trawlers fishing near Pulau Jerajak in the Malacca Strait (see Map 2.2 in Chapter 2) was attacked by twelve pirates who approached their victims under the classic pretext of wanting to trade fish with the trawlers. The perpetrators, armed with M-16 rifles, boarded three of the fishing vessels and stole the catch, documents, and equipment from the trawlers. They also kidnapped ten fishers and brought them to Aceh, Indonesia. Negotiations with the owner of the trawlers ensued and the hostages were eventually released after a ransom of RM150,000 (US$41,100) was paid. Such attacks are not unusual and occur because the pirates can approach their victims by pretending to be interested in trading with the fishers directly at sea. Fish trade at sea takes place in some ocean areas where catches have become sparse and fishers buy or barter valuable fish from their, often foreign, counterparts to supplement their own catches and secure sufficient income and livelihood.

This chapter is concerned with the sea as a source of livelihood for fishers in Southeast Asia and Bangladesh. While the first two chapters have shown that different types of pirate attacks occur in Southeast Asia and Bangladesh, this chapter and the remainder of the book explain why these different types of attacks occur in this region, allowing further insights into the nature of individual attacks and the working practices and motivations of pirates. This investigation is tied to the central argument of this study, namely that piracy can be understood as both a sign and a reflection of security threats and bureaucratic loopholes, as well as of other political, social, and economic developments undermining security.