background information
Piracy is a war-like act committed by private parties that engage in acts of robbery and criminal violence at sea. Piracy off the Somali coast has been a threat to international shipping since the beginning of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century. Since 2005, many international organizations have expressed their concerns over the rise in acts of piracy. Piracy has contributed to an increase in shipping costs and impeded the delivery of food aid shipments.
Since a few years ago, Western vessels are heading to the coast of Somalia to catch massive amounts of fish. The piracy in the Gulf of Aden is a result of these Western companies, since they are stealing business from the natives, by fishing more efficient than the primitive boats of the Somali. But there is more, at that time Somalia was a headless state and had no authority to patrol its tuna-rich coastal waters. Subsequently, foreign commercial vessels swooped in to cast their nets.
Can Western businesses still fish in the Somali’ waters without paying attention to the impoverished population?
According to simple neoclassical reasoning, firms are exclusively aiming at maximizing their profits and therefore exploiting their resources in their own interest. But, the question arises if Western businesses have the right to steal business from a country in troubles that is not as strong as Western countries on social, political and economical levels due to a civil war. Somalia receives aid from several Western programs by food supplies. However, since Somalia is an unordered society, this means that the food supplies are not at the place where it is needed most; the impoverished population. As a response to earn a living, they are more or less forced to engage bad conduct by robbing Western vessels.
s100815
9 comments:
I see this case as having 2 separate reasons for the current moral problem. First, from the perspective of the firm they are facing a problem of moral motivation. Since they have a positive duty to help the impoverished Somalian population but on the other hand they are self-interested and strive for profit maximization. Companies are thus acting immoral but the problem is that they are violating a positive duty which some ethics would not even consider a moral duty (the functional ethicists).This is the tricky part of blaming the companies
Second, is that Somalia is an unorganized society due to the civil wars. Companies could argue that they are not acting legally wrong because Somalian law does not forbid it. But this is not a good argument in my opinion since they us ethical legalism to support their actions which is not a moral valid argument according to morality.
Though from a hermeneutic perspective I would argue that the companies are not acting in a morally right way.
S341421
The western fishing companies are free to fish in Somalia when the waters are not legally protected for western companies. The poor situation in Somalia should not be a reason to stop catching fish in the waters of Somalia. The fish is feeding the greater good of the world.
In Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) thinking it could be reasonable to help the Somalia’s out of their poor and hopeless situation. This could be done by sharing some of the profits with the Somalia’s by helping them with exploiting the resources of the country.
Doing business in social responsible way, allows the companies to fish in the waters of Somalia. Fishing in the waters of Somalia is not morally wrong because it is not forbidden by laws and it feeds the greater good by feeding people all over the world.
U1237328
ANR 619284
In the principal comment it is stated : “But, the question arises if Western businesses have the right to steal business from a country in troubles that is not as strong as Western countries on social, political and economical levels due to a civil war”. I disagree with the statement of the question, western countries are not stealing Somalia’s business. As generally known that firms aim to maximize their profits on an acceptable way. Since Somalia is an unordered society, they do not posses principles of what is morally or legally right or wrong. Thus as long as there are no limitations or commandments in Somalia towards fishery, the western fishers are not breaking any law or doing anything immoral. Western fishers have no moral responsibilities with the political or economical situation is Somalia.
U1232444
ANR: 308580
If there is no explicit public law, there is no wrong doing by the western finishing companies. It is true that they should be seeking profit maximization. Not only that, but they probably have the resources to fish more efficiently and reach economies of scale, probably supplying the fish at a cheaper price to the Somalians themselves.
If the government wants to support their people they should do so by either implementing tarriffs and taxes, or by helping support their industry but Piracy is definitely not a choice considering that it does break a public law, hence doesn't comply with their negative duties not to steal.
I think it should also be looked at from a Utilitarian perspective, and see which side will benefit the most. Is it only the local fishers being harmed, or more people?
s690159
Somalia is an unorganized society and they do not have legal principles to forbid the western fishing companies to fish in the coast of Somalia. Therefore, the western fishing companies did not violate any laws of Somalia.
From the business discourse, companies try to strive for profit maximization, they are self-interested. However we cannot say the companies are morally wrong that they did the business in Somalia which is in troubles and not strong as Western countries on social, political and economical levels. We can indeed say that the western fishing companies have the social responsibility to help the impoverished Somalians,since the companies want to fish there.
S177575
In my opinion, this is a political problem. In well ordered societies, a foreign company can exploit the nations resources in exchange for benefits (usually tax). the fishing companies do not have a duty towards somalians, anything they would do to make the country more ordered would be excessive, since they are not responsible for Somalias misery. I think international politics should install a organized government that can tax the companies for expoiting Somalias recources, and in the meanwhile it is morally permissible for the fishing companies to do business in Somalia. You can compare it to the loggers in the spotted owl case.
ANR:312510
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