Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world whose economy depends largely on its fishing industry. However, powerful nations have ruined the country's fishing industry by using huge deep-sea fishing vessels and illegally dumping waste on the Somali coast. The UN Security Council, the European Union and NATO have largely supported these actions through resolutions. Faced with these powerful institutions, a powerless nation like Somalia does not have the resources to combat this exploitation. To make their voices heard, a Somali pirate culture has developed over the last twenty years. This involves hijacking ships and demanding ransom. Although their actions did not attract much attention at first, publicity and awareness of the problem continued to grow. The purpose of this article is to show that Somali pirate culture has reached a point where they are successfully influencing the global economy, which has consequences in countries around the world. By controlling international trade routes, Somali pirates maintain this power. These efforts by Somali pirates show their disparity and mean that they will not allow their own resources to be hacked without retaliation. To draw attention to their dire situation, the Somali pirate culture grew more than two decades ago, attacking fishing and commercial boats and vessels in order to demand ransom from other countries. Although their methods may not be the most legitimate, their efforts have been effective. Somalia's coastline stretches for just under three thousand kilometers, controlling most of where the Gulf of Aden flows into the Indian Ocean and creates a bottleneck. "Equipped with small skiffs, guns, grappling hooks and... middle of paper...... this is the very reason this culture was initiated, they continue to wage war against Somali pirates . Works cited Agence France Presse. (April 15, 2009). Inquirer.net. Accessed January 12, 2011, from Inquirer.net: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20090415-199432/Facts-and-figures-Somalia-piracyReuters. (April 15, 2009). Reuters. Retrieved January 12, 2011 from Reuters.com: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE53E2JR20090415?pageNumber=2Thakurta, S. (October 10, 2008). Piracy in Somalia: the world cannot afford to ignore. Retrieved January 12, 2011 from Merinews: http://www.merinews.com/article/somalia-piracy-the-world-cant-afford-to-ignore/144093.shtml Wright, R. (January 16, 2011). Financial time. Retrieved January 17, 2011 from FT.com: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/658138a6-219b-11e0-9e3b-00144feab49a.html#axzz1BKVMULD0