Somali Prison Survey Report: Piracy Motivations & Deterrents - FULL REPORT

The joint survey of UNODC and OBP finds that:

• Poor economic conditions were reported as the major reason for engaging in piracy, and long-term solutions to piracy should address this.

• Prisoners report being very impacted by prison, and express a strong desire to avoid future prison time.

• International navies, more than any other counter-piracy activity, were listed as the primary deterrent. Armed guards aboard ships were also frequently listed.

• A substantial number of prisoners rejected the term pirate or piracy, maintaining that they were fishermen who were not guilty of piracy.

• For those pirates who knew someone who left piracy, the dominant reason was family or community pressure.

• The illegal fishing narrative remains a rationalization for piracy. 

For more about the survey, please visit the UNODC website. 

Press release discussing the survey's findings can be found here.