Review: The Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina
I picked this one up because I always examine books about the sea. The author is an investigative journalist working for The New York Times who writes clearly and modestly about his brave intervention in dangerous places. He wrote a series of articles about crime on the high seas and this is the book that emerged from it.
Like many in his profession he wants to change the world and misery porn is his own term where he expresses his fear that he is merely titillating us with stories about suffering rather than highlighting offences that need action. I think he can be assured this is not porn.
It is nevertheless a book which describes the lurid underbelly of a region which makes up two thirds of the planet. The topics addressed are diverse and truly shocking. I could hardly believe some of the things going on in the 21st century: fishermen as indentured slaves; piracy; thefts, reflagging and repossession of ships the size of skyscrapers; declarations of offshore independant states; gun-running platforms; illegal fishing and dumping; eco-warriors; state indifference and state corruption. The list goes on and on and on. Sometimes it felt like he was on the set of a Mad Max movie.
Well worth reading, it’s made me think about what we can do to reduce our impact on the planet and especially how we can contribute to reducing misery and exploitation.
Asynchronists 