Garowe (WDN) — Puntland’s government has warned against paying ransom to pirates holding vessels off its coastline, arguing that such payments would only strengthen and encourage the resurgence of piracy.
In a statement, Puntland’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources said ransom payments create a financial incentive for pirate groups and risk turning coastal communities into the victims of a renewed maritime security crisis.
The warning comes amid growing concern over a series of piracy incidents off Somalia’s northeastern coast. Six vessels are reportedly being held by armed groups, with demands for ransoms running into millions of dollars.
But amid the renewed fight against piracy, an even more troubling question has emerged: who is protecting innocent fishermen caught in the crossfire?
Recent airstrikes near Garmaal on Puntland’s Nugaal coast reportedly killed four people and wounded two others. Puntland has said fishermen and local residents were among those affected, while the identity of those responsible for the strikes remains unconfirmed
The deaths have transformed what began as a piracy crisis into a broader humanitarian and accountability issue. Local fishing communities depend on the sea for their livelihoods, and the prospect of military operations near their traditional fishing grounds has generated fear among residents.
The controversy intensified following the August 17 hijacking of the Cameroon-flagged M/V LUTUF off Puntland. The vessel was reportedly seized near Eyl and later taken toward the Nugaal coast. Reports said Turkish-owned vessels, helicopters and drones were monitoring the area before an airstrike killed four people near Garmaal. However, the identity of those who carried out the strike has not been independently established.
Puntland has called on governments and foreign forces involved in anti-piracy operations to explain what happened and to distinguish clearly between legitimate military targets and civilians. The central issue is no longer simply how to defeat piracy. It is how to confront piracy without turning innocent fishermen into collateral damage.
Puntland’s warning against ransom payments is understandable: rewarding hostage-takers can perpetuate the business model of piracy. But equally important is ensuring that counter-piracy operations do not create another cycle of fear, displacement and civilian deaths.
For coastal families who depend on fishing, the sea is not a battlefield—it is their workplace, their livelihood and often their only source of income. The fight against piracy must therefore protect both ships at sea and the Somali fishermen whose lives depend on those same waters.
WardheerNews