Somalia has the longest coast in Africa but Somalis have never exploited the potential of their seas for various reasons. Those who had ventured out to sea were out muscled by illegal foreign fishing trawlers and they depleted the stock of fish in these territorial waters and polluted it by dumping nuclear and toxic wastes. Adversity prompted the Somalis to test new ways of making money and former fishermen joined hands with the militia and unemployed youth to hijack vessels and demand ransom. This was the start of piracy in Somalia.