[11/May/2010]

SANA'A, May 11 (Saba) – Eritrean authorities seized since 2006 until the first quarter of this year about 384 Yemeni fishing boats, an official report has noted.

The boats cost $ 4500 and the seizures have left 3799 Yemeni fishermen jobless.

Most of the seizures took place while the boats were fishing in international waters.

Crews sometimes were arrested, taken to Eritrea and sent back after their boats and all properties onboard had been confiscated by the Eritrean.

The Yemeni Fishermen Cooperative Union has urged the government to intervene and contact the Eritrean authorities over releasing the Yemeni boats and other fishermen properties.

The union also called for forming a Yemeni-Eritrean technical committee for setting out conditions for allowing Yemeni boats to fish without being intercepted.

FR
Saba