# Somali fishermen caught between piracy and crackdown > As piracy surges off Somalia's coast, fishing communities face restrictions, arrests and surveillance that threaten their livelihoods. - Title: Somali fishermen caught between piracy and crackdown - Summary: As piracy surges off Somalia's coast, fishing communities face restrictions, arrests and surveillance that threaten their livelihoods. Fishermen in Bander… - Keywords: somali piracy, bander beyla, puntland, fishing restrictions, maritime security, kinship networks, illegal fishing, counter-piracy operations, news, world, politics, Somali - Source: Al Jazeera — https://aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/19/kinship-and-surveillance-the-return-of-somali-piracy?traffic_source=rss - Read time: 2 min - Topics: somali piracy, bander beyla, puntland, fishing restrictions, maritime security, kinship networks, illegal fishing, counter-piracy operations, news, world, politics ## Fishermen squeezed by foreign trawlers Abdifatah Mohamed, thirty five, has fished off Somalia's coast for twenty years since age fifteen. Declining catches and foreign trawlers have made supporting his family increasingly difficult. > Foreign trawlers are emptying out the seas ## Collapsed state left waters unguarded Somalia's central government collapsed in nineteen ninety one, weakening maritime oversight and leaving its waters vulnerable to illegal fishing by foreign vessels. ## Some fishermen turn to piracy Angered by foreign vessels exploiting Somalia's resources, some fishermen have turned to piracy. Mohamed said some from his community have taken up arms at sea. > Some from our community have taken up arms at sea, but deep down I know it's hurting our community ## Piracy surge since late April Piracy has surged off Somalia since late April twenty twenty six. Several seized vessels have been held near Bander Beyla, bringing the crisis close to the town's fishing community. ## Two month fishing ban imposed In late August, local authorities restricted fishermen from going to sea for two months, citing concerns that pirates were disguising themselves as fishermen. ## Fishermen face impossible choices Fishermen risk arrest or violence from international navies if they go to sea, or accusations of piracy from local authorities if caught. Some have been mistaken for pirates and jailed abroad. > It's a two-way risk, because if the authorities know you went out to sea, they could accuse you of piracy or even transporting supplies to the ships that were hijacked ## Dozens arrested for feeding pirates Abdirizak Said, who has fished in Bander Beyla for fifteen years, said dozens have been arrested after bringing food or khat to pirates when ships were anchored nearby. ## Piracy depends on land networks Jethro Norman, senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, said piracy depends on land based networks providing money, equipment, manpower and protection through kinship ties. > Kinship networks can effectively function as a form of financial and social infrastructure, and for piracy, this is no different ## Three ships freed, restrictions lifted On October first, restrictions were lifted after anti piracy operations freed three hijacked vessels. The International Maritime Organization confirmed on October second that Honour twenty five, Seamull and Eureka were freed. ## Five crew members died in rescue The International Maritime Organization reported that forty four seafarers were released from the three vessels. Five crew members died during the rescue operation involving Honour twenty five. ## Helicopters continue surveillance Military helicopters from the European Union Naval Force routinely hover over Bander Beyla and nearby coastal areas, looking for armed individuals. The visible security presence remains after restrictions were lifted. ## Houthi attacks diverted naval focus International naval attention shifted after Houthi attacks began in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in late twenty twenty three, allowing armed groups on the Somali coast to take advantage of reduced security. ## Puntland forces stretched thin The Puntland Maritime Police Force has been diverted by fighting ISIS in the Al Miskad mountains and lost personnel to the twenty twenty three anti Somaliland rebellion in Las Anod. ## Key takeaway Fishermen in Bander Beyla, Somalia face economic collapse as authorities restrict fishing to combat piracy, while some residents join pirate networks that depend on land-based kinship ties.