Somalia: Rich maritime resources being plundered, report says

The international community has failed to grapple with the real underlying political and economic issues facing the troubled East African nation of Somalia, which has been surviving without an effective government for over two decades, according to a new study released here. With the country's 3,300-km coastline virtually unprotected, industrial fishing vessels from Europe and Asia have entered the area in large numbers and are plundering Somalia's rich maritime resources. 'Having over-fished their home waters, these sophisticated factory ships are seeking catch in one of the world's richest remaining fishing zones,' says the report published by the New York-based Global Policy Forum (GPF).