Pt 9: Dispatches from the Outlaw Ocean
Fluid Borders
by Ian Urbina for The Outlaw Ocean Project
June 12, 2023
The South China Seas are home to the most hotly contested waters on Earth and Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, is virtually impossible to police. For decades, its sprawling waters have been the playground for illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. When the country began cracking down on trespassers, arresting foreign crew and blowing up their boats, its tactics were hailed as effective, but the controversy provoked the ire of many.
In this episode, the Outlaw Ocean Project accompanies a routine maritime border patrol which rapidly takes a turn for the worse.
IAN URBINA is the director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, a non-profit journalism organization based in Washington D.C. that produces investigative stories about human rights, environment and labor concerns on the two thirds of the planet covered by water. Before founding The Outlaw Ocean Project, Urbina spent roughly 17 years as a staff reporter for The New York Times. He has received various journalism awards, including a Pulitzer Prize, two George Polk Awards and an Emmy. Several of his investigations have also been converted into major motion pictures.
Reprinted with permission
© 2023 Ian Urbina
548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 USA
To understand the broader point of this series, please see the Outlaw Ocean call to Reimagine the Realm series.
