{{Short description|2019 book about maritime crime}} {{Infobox book | image = File:The Outlaw Ocean.jpg | caption = First edition | alt = Image of the book jacket cover | author = Ian Urbina | illustrator = | cover_artist = | country = {{hlist | United States}} | language = English | series = | subject = {{hlist | Crime | marine conservation | maritime law | law of the sea | illegal fishing | piracy | human trafficking}} | genre = True crime<br>Investigative journalism | published = 2019 (Knopf)<br> 2020 (Vintage Publishing) | media_type = Print | pages = 560 | awards = | isbn = | dewey = | congress = | wikisource = }}
'''''The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier''''' (also published as '''''The Outlaw Ocean: Crime and Survival in the Last Untamed Frontier''''') is a 2019 book by Ian Urbina about crime and extralegal activity in international waters. The book was based on an investigate journalism series Urbina wrote for ''The New York Times''.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2015-07-25|title=The Outlaw Ocean|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/24/world/the-outlaw-ocean.html}}</ref> Topics covered include illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, modern slavery and violent crime committed at sea, as well of the work of organisations, governments and companies in international waters.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2019-10-02|title=The Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina review – where murder goes unpunished|url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/oct/02/the-outlaw-ocean-by-ian-urbina-review|access-date=2021-03-31|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|title='The Outlaw Ocean': A Forgotten Frontier Where Slavery And Illegal Activities Abound|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/08/21/751707831/the-outlaw-ocean-a-forgotten-frontier-where-slavery-and-illegal-activities-aboun|access-date=2021-03-31|newspaper=NPR|date=21 August 2019|language=en|last1=Iglesias|first1=Gabino|author-link=Gabino Iglesias}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Braverman|first=Blair|date=2019-08-19|title=Pirates, Slavers and Poachers: Violence on the High Seas|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/books/review/outlaw-ocean-ian-urbina.html|access-date=2021-03-31|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The book was critically acclaimed.
== Synopsis == ''The Outlaw Ocean'' is structured as a series of essays about lawlessness at sea with each chapter covering a different aspect and case studies. Urbina describes his experiences of their reporting. These include:
* The ''Thunder'', an illegal fishing vessel that was part of the Bandit 6, and its pursuit by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society * Maritime law enforcement against illegal fishing in Palau and Indonesia *The Principality of Sealand, an unrecognised micronation and former pirate radio station off the coast of Suffolk * Women on Waves, an NGO that provides abortions in international waters for women in countries where they are illegal * Stowaways in international shipping *A Greenpeace and academic expedition by the MV ''Esperanza'' to survey the Amazon Reef in advance of plans to drill the region for oil. * Poor working conditions and modern slavery in the fishing industry, particularly in Thailand *Violent crime at sea, including an investigation of a clip showing a murder at sea committed by a longliner crew *Piracy off the coast of Somalia
== Reception == It was reviewed positively in ''The Guardian'',<ref name=":0" /> ''New Statesman'',<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Outlaw Ocean: a cinematic voyage following criminals at sea|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/%E2%80%8Bthe-outlaw-ocean-ian-urbina-review|access-date=2021-04-18|website=www.newstatesman.com|language=en}}</ref> ''NPR''<ref name=":1" /> and ''The New York Times''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Braverman|first=Blair|date=2019-08-19|title=Pirates, Slavers and Poachers: Violence on the High Seas|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/books/review/outlaw-ocean-ian-urbina.html|access-date=2021-04-18|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> It also entered ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list in September 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Sept. 8, 2019 - The New York Times|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2019/09/08/hardcover-nonfiction/|access-date=2021-06-04|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Urbina's reporting adapted for the book won numerous awards as a ''New York Times'' series.
== Adaptations == The book is accompanied by a musical project, ''The Outlaw Ocean Music Project'', which involved around 200 musicians sampling field recordings from the book's research trips and creating a soundtrack.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Outlaw Ocean Music Project|url=https://www.theoutlawoceanmusic.com/about/|access-date=2021-03-31|website=www.theoutlawoceanmusic.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Breathe Deeply: Music To Quiet The Mind And Inspire : All Songs Considered|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/02/18/807030514/breathe-deeply-music-to-quiet-the-mind-and-inspire|access-date=2021-03-31|website=NPR.org|language=en}}</ref>
Urbina also established ''The Outlaw Ocean Project'', a non-profit journalism organisation to produce further stories about maritime crime.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About The Outlaw Ocean Project|url=https://www.theoutlawocean.com/about/|access-date=2021-03-31|website=The Outlaw Ocean Project}}</ref>
A film adaptation of Urbina's reporting is in development by Netflix, set to be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Calvario|first=Liz|date=2016-06-21|title=Leonardo DiCaprio To Produce Nautical Action-Thriller 'The Outlaw Ocean' For Netflix – Report|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/06/leonardo-dicaprio-produce-netflix-film-the-outlaw-ocean-1201691273/|access-date=2021-03-31|website=IndieWire|language=en}}</ref>
In 2022 CBC Radio and the LA Times released a seven-part podcast called ''The Outlaw Ocean'', featuring Urbina's reportage.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Outlaw Ocean |url=https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/program/the-outlaw-ocean |website=CBC Media Centre |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=12 June 2023}}</ref>
== References == <references />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Outlaw Ocean, The}} Category:2019 non-fiction books Category:American non-fiction books Category:English-language non-fiction books Category:Environmental non-fiction books Category:Non-fiction books about crime Category:Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing Category:Investigative journalism books Category:Maritime books Category:Works about fishing Category:Works originally published in The New York Times Category:Alfred A. Knopf books
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