The Business of Piracy in Somalia
Abstract
This article argues that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to control Somali piracy for four reasons. First, Somali piracy is a land-based problem and naval control mechanisms are not changing the incentives for pirates. Second, improving Somalia's anarchic political situation will not necessarily stop piracy. Our analysis demonstrates that piracy is a business which improves with a more stable environment. Third, piracy is organized criminal activity, and like other organized crime groups will be difficult to control, especially if it becomes embedded in state structures. Finally, we argue that few of the relevant players have any real incentives to alter their behaviour.Download Info
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Paper provided by Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University in its series CEDI Discussion Paper Series with number 11-08.Length: 41 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2011
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:edb:cedidp:11-08
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Related research
Keywords:Other versions of this item:
- Anja Shortland, 2010. "The Business of Piracy in Somalia," Weekly Report, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 6(23), pages 182-186.
- Sarah Percy & Anja Shortland, 2010. "The Business of Piracy in Somalia," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1033, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
- K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
- O17 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
- P48 - Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Political Economy; Legal Institutions; Property Rights; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Regional Studies
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2012-05-02 (All new papers)
- NEP-IUE-2012-05-02 (Informal & Underground Economics)
References
References listed on IDEASPlease report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Anja Shortland, 2011.
""Robin Hook": The Developmental Effects of Somali Piracy,"
Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin
1155, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
- Anja Shortland, 2011. ""Robin Hook": The Developmental Effects of Somali Piracy," Economics of Security Working Paper Series 54, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
- Anja Shortland, 2011. ""Robin Hook": The Developmental Effects of Somali Piracy," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 11-07, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
- Olaf J. de Groot & Matthew D. Rablen & Anja Shortland, 2011.
"Gov-aargh-nance: "Even Criminals Need Law and Order","
Economics of Security Working Paper Series
46, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
- de Groot, Olaf J. & Rablen, Matthew D. & Shortland, Anja, 2011. "Gov-Aargh-Nance – “Even Criminals Need Law And Order”," NEPS Working Papers 7/2011, Network of European Peace Scientists.
- Olaf J. de Groot & Matthew D. Rablen & Anja Shortland, 2011. "Gov-aargh-nance - "even criminals need law and order"," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 11-01, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
- Anja Shortland & Marc Vothknecht, 2010.
"Combating "Maritime Terrorism" off the Coast of Somalia,"
Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin
1079, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
- Shortland, Anja & Vothknecht, Marc, 2011. "Combating “maritime terrorism” off the coast of Somalia," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 27(S1), pages S133-S151.
- Anja Shortland & Marc Vothknecht, 2011. "Combating "Maritime Terrorism" off the Coast of Somalia," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 11-02, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
- Anja Shortland & Marc Vothknecht, 2011. "Combating “Maritime Terrorism” off the Coast of Somalia," Economics of Security Working Paper Series 47, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
- Anja Shortland & Sarah Percy, 2011.
"The Business of Piracy in Somalia,"
CEDI Discussion Paper Series
11-08, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
- Anja Shortland, 2010. "The Business of Piracy in Somalia," Weekly Report, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 6(23), pages 182-186.
- Sarah Percy & Anja Shortland, 2010. "The Business of Piracy in Somalia," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1033, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
- Leeson, Peter T., 2007. "Better off stateless: Somalia before and after government collapse," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 689-710, December.
- Varese, Federico, 2001. "The Russian Mafia: Private Protection in a New Market Economy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198297369, September.
Citations
Blog mentions
As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:- The economics of piracy in Somalia
by Economic Logician in Economic Logic on 2010-08-23 14:33:00 - Weekly Wisdom Roundup 93: A Linkfest For The Smartest People On The Web
by Miguel in Simoleon Sense on 2010-08-29 20:35:30
Cited by:
- Anja Shortland & Sarah Percy, 2011.
"The Business of Piracy in Somalia,"
CEDI Discussion Paper Series
11-08, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
- Anja Shortland, 2010. "The Business of Piracy in Somalia," Weekly Report, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 6(23), pages 182-186.
- Sarah Percy & Anja Shortland, 2010. "The Business of Piracy in Somalia," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1033, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
- Olaf J. de Groot & Matthew D. Rablen & Anja Shortland, 2011.
"Gov-aargh-nance: "Even Criminals Need Law and Order","
Economics of Security Working Paper Series
46, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
- de Groot, Olaf J. & Rablen, Matthew D. & Shortland, Anja, 2011. "Gov-Aargh-Nance – “Even Criminals Need Law And Order”," NEPS Working Papers 7/2011, Network of European Peace Scientists.
- Olaf J. de Groot & Matthew D. Rablen & Anja Shortland, 2011. "Gov-aargh-nance - "even criminals need law and order"," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 11-01, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
- Anja Shortland & Federico Varese, 2012. "The Business of Pirate Protection," Economics of Security Working Paper Series 75, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
- Christian Schubert & Leonhard K. Lades, 2012. "Fighting Maritime Piracy: Three Lessons from Pompeius Magnus," Jena Economic Research Papers 2012-017, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Max-Planck-Institute of Economics.
- Singh, C. & Bedi, A.S., 2012. "‘War on piracy’: the conflation of Somali piracy with terrorism in discourse, tactic and law," ISS Working Papers - General Series 543, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University (ISS), The Hague.
- Edmund Byrne, 2011. "Business Ethics Should Study Illicit Businesses: To Advance Respect for Human Rights," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 103(4), pages 497-509, November.
- Inmaculada Martínez-Zarzoso & Sami Bensassi, 2011. "The price of modern maritime piracy," Ibero America Institute for Econ. Research (IAI) Discussion Papers 213, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research.
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