Five Yemeni fishing boats with 50 crew members were seized by Puntland Maritime Police force for illegal fishing in the autonomous region waters, Horseed Media reports.
The vessels were captured by the coast guard following operations recently, according to the Puntland coastguard chief Admiral Abdirisak Dirie Farah.
The fishermen, who are both Yemeni and Somali nationals are now in a police custody and are expected to be taken to the court for trial.
‘’They have violated our laws of Fishing, therefore each crew member and boats will be prosecuted.’’
Puntland Maritime police force officials have expressed its intention to further capture anyone engaged in illegal fishing activities, both Somali or foreign vessels, in the state waters to protect the marine resources.
Somalia waters, particularly off the coast of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland in the country’s North, contain some of the world’s most important stocks of tuna, anchovies, sharks, rays, lobsters, and shrimps, but they are barely monitored or policed, and wide open to legal and illegal plunder.
Puntland is battling to curb illegal fishing, which is threatening fishing stocks and lives of hundreds of local fishermen.
Abdirahman Maanow
Horseed Media
Somalia: Puntland coastguard nabs 5 Yemeni boats for illegal fishing
Published: March 2, 2016
