by Ian Urbina
First published 2020
The ocean remains the most lawless place on Earth. Its vast expanse defies regulation, creating a zone where human behavior turns extreme and deadly. Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times correspondent Ian Urbina spent years traveling these dangerous waters, witnessing firsthand the criminal underworld that thrives beyond international jurisdiction. He sailed with fishing fleets thousands of kilometers from shore and visited the world's most dangerous port cities. Urbina documents a hidden realm populated by smugglers, pirates, merchants, shipwreck thieves, bailiffs, illegal environmental groups, poachers, enslaved crews chained to vessels, and passengers abandoned in the middle of the ocean. His investigation reveals how fishing, oil, and shipping industries operate through violence and exploitation, forming a water mafia that controls the global economy. The book exposes countless unpunished crimes ranging from illegal fishing and ocean oil dumping to labor abuse and murder that will shock readers.
Genres: adventure, crime, social-issues, non-fiction, true-crime, investigative-journalism
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, real-world-issues
Setting: Earth, Ocean
Period: Contemporary
512 pages · Paperback · Panama Yayincilik
Content warnings: violence