2. The People of Somalia have been dying from Radiation sickness caused by the dumping of radioactive waste
in their coastal waters . As a result their natural fishing grounds have been contaminated as well. This is an
ongoing reason why piracy continues, to protect their ocean from illegal dumping.

3. The high poverty levels and lack of resources makes Somalia a hard place to live in and survive.
Poverty is a large reason many of the people of Somalia choose the life of piracy.

4. This is what a typical Somali Pirate looks like out on sea. The mask will hide their identity in case they take hostages, but
not all pirates wear masks. The weapons are used more to intimidate the boats they will hijack, but they will be used if the
vessel being hijacked isn't cooperating or they are under attack.

7. Khat is a plant that is harvested in Somalia, it is chewed by pirates to give them a high. It is considered a
stimulant similar to cocaine in which it makes you alert and it suppresses hunger. Khat is regularly chewed
by pirates through out the day.

8. Somali Pirates boarding a vessel will usually find an easy way of getting on the vessel. In this case they
were able to board the vessel through an unconfirmed object on the side of the vessel.

11. Victims of the hijacking are usually taken as hostages for a ransom. Ransoms can sometimes reach
millions of dollars. Hostages are also sold off as slaves if ransoms aren't paid or if they are not killed.

12. Not all pirates are successful in their raids. Piracy has also become a very serious crime in recent
years and pirates have become a big target for naval forces around the world.

13. Suspicious ships are usually stopped and checked by naval forces for any evidence of piracy such as
guns, stolen good or sometimes even hostages.

14. With recent piracy attacks plummeting and increased security around the Somali coast, it seems as if
the glory days of piracy are coming to an end