GoKawiilSushi Zanmai owner Kimura says he funded Somali fishing boats to curb piracy
Kiyoshi Kimura, owner of Japan's Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain, says that during the 2011 peak of Somali piracy he brought in four fishing boats and offered to buy their catch, aiming to give pirates an alternative livelihood. Somali piracy, which saw 237 ship attacks in 2011 despite patrols by roughly twenty navies, subsequently declined sharply, though it is disputed how much credit his initiative deserves versus naval patrols, armed guards and onshore security changes.