Piracy off the coast of Somalia

Piracy off the coast of Somalia occurs in the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and Indian Ocean, in Somali territorial waters and other surrounding places and has a long troubled history with different perspectives from different communities. It was initially a threat to international fishing vessels during the early 2000s, only to rapidly escalate and expand to international shipping during the War in Somalia (2006–2009). The escalation of conflict between local Somali fishermen and foreign vessels occurred in a context where Somalia is estimated to lose approximately $300 million annually since 1991 due to the unauthorized extraction of marine resources using harmful methods, such as dynamite fishing, which is prohibited in a number of other regions.