Gone fishing, Somalia style: Man carries his eight-foot shark back through the streets of war-torn Mogadishu

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A young Somali fisherman walks nonchalantly through the streets of the war-torn capital Mogadishu carrying an enormous eight foot long shark on his head.

With the crumbling and pock-marked buildings in the background a grim and constant reminder of the city's troubled past, the man is seen making his way to market under a hot African sun to the obvious delight passers-by.

The waters of the Indian Ocean off Somali coast are said to be teeming with thousands of the creatures including large populations of makos, hammerheads and grey sharks.

on February 12, 2013. Due to the large population of sharks off the Somali coast, fishermen often catch sharks out to sea which are then sold at

Off to market: A Somali fisherman carries a shark on his head as he casually walks through the streets of war-torn Mogadishu

Fishermen often catch sharks out to sea which are sold at market and it is not uncommon to see them walking through the streets carrying their catch on their shoulders. Much of the shark meat is dried and salted for export.

Somalia has now been blighted by over 20 years of instability and civil war. The infamous Black Hawk Down incident of 1993, when US troops fought violent battles through the streets of Mogadishu for two days was one of several foreign interventions which led to the city gaining the reputation of the most dangerous on earth.

While UN and Somali troops have succeeded in recent months in pushing militant groups such as Al-Shabaab out of key areas, their actions have created an effective power vacuum and with the lack of an effective police force to step in, violent struggles have ensued.

Plentiful supplies: Due to the large population of sharks off the Somali coast, fishermen often catch the creatures out to sea which are then sold at market

Plentiful supplies: Due to the large population of sharks off the Somali coast, fishermen often catch the creatures out to sea which are then sold at market

A fisherman carries a shark on his back as he makes his way past the ruined buildings of war-torn Mogadishu

A fisherman carries a shark on his back as he makes his way past the ruined buildings of war-torn Mogadishu

Piracy off the coast of Somalia, which has now grown into a highly-lucrative industry, is said to have begun as a response to illegal fishing in the area. When the government collapsed in 1991, the tuna-rich waters became a free-for-all for commercial fishing fleets from around the world.

A 2006 UN report found that due to the absence of coastguard patrols, Somali waters were being illegally plundered by international fleets to the detriment of the local fishermen. Somali fishermen, who claimed their livelihoods were under threat, began confronting illegal fishing boats and demanding that they pay a tax.

Foreign ships have a been accused of dumping toxic and even nuclear waste in the area leading to a spate of health problems in villages along the coast.

Two women look on smiling as the young fisherman struggle under the weight of the sharks

Two women look on smiling as the young fishermen appear to struggle under the weight of the sharks

Shall you carry it or shall I: Two fishermen  stand over a shark dumped onto the roadside in Mogadishu

Are you sure it's dead?  Two fishermen stand over a shark dumped onto the roadside in Mogadishu




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