Yemeni fishermen in Hadramout venture back into Arabian Sea, defying Emirati ban

HADRAMOUT, Nov. 18 (YPA) -Dozens of Yemeni fishermen from Shihr city in Hadramout province, eastern Yemen, ventured into the sea with their boats on Monday to resume fishing, after eight years of a ban imposed by Emirati forces on fishing in the Arabian Sea.

The fishermen broke the Emirati-imposed blockade that had prevented them from fishing since 2016, defying the military restrictions that had deprived them of their only source of livelihood for the past years.

This move represents a significant challenge to the military constraints imposed by the UAE, and comes at a time when the fishermen are facing severe economic difficulties due to their inability to practice their primary profession.

The repeated appeals, protests in front of Al-Riyan Airport, and sit-ins in Shahir and Ghayl Bawazir did not succeed in easing the suffering of the fishermen due to the Emirati ban on fishing. Despite their efforts, they were still unable to access the sea for fishing, with the authorities justifying the ban on security grounds.

The fishermen considered fishing to be their legitimate right and a necessary step to break the blockade imposed on them over the past years. The local communities have been suffering from poverty and hunger, as they rely entirely on fishing as their primary livelihood.

The Emirati forces stationed at Al-Riyan Airport had prevented the fishermen from entering the sea to fish under the pretext of security concerns, following the airport’s conversion from a civilian facility into to a joint military base for the US and British forces in 2016.

@E.Y.M