Yemen losses over $3 bln in fish sector in 2017 due to war
SANAA, March 14 (YPA) – Minister of Fisheries Wealth Mohammed al-Zubairi said on Wednesday the fish sector losses in the Red Sea amounted to over three billion and 114 million dollars in 2017 due to Saudi-led coalition war on Yemen.
In a press conference held at the Minister of Fisheries Wealth, al-Zubairi said the coalition destroyed 11 fish landing centers totally at a loss of more than 13 million dollars and over $ 19 million projects in the Red Sea have stopped, while losses in fees and revenues amounted to $ 26 million.
The resources of the fisheries were managed according to a fictitious reality without presenting anything to fishermen, including support from international aid, the minister added.
He confirmed that the livelihoods of Yemeni fishermen are almost the lowest in the development indicators at the global level, in light of the economic challenges and crises experienced by the country during the past periods.
What increased the fishermen’s suffering is the continuation of the siege and aggression for three years, which was accompanied by direct bombing on the infrastructure of economic projects in the fisheries sector, al-Zubairi explained.
He pointed out that at least 480 Yemeni fishing boats are still being held by the Eritrean authorities and others.
For his part, Undersecretary of the Fisheries Ministry for traditional fishing sector, Basheer al-Khaiwani revealed that the overall production rate of traditional fishing boats in the Red Sea decreased more than 80% in 2017 compared with previous years.
He said that 133 fishermen were killed and over 40 others wounded, and 204 boats were destroyed at a total loss exceeded 40.7 million dollars, while more than 4500 boats had stopped and their total lost production estimated at more than 655 million dollars due to the aggression during the past year.
More than 2.5 million citizens of coastal cities and villages in the Red Sea were affected by the Saudi-led aggression on the western coasts, and five factories were stopped, while losses of industries and services associated with fish activity amounted to more than 5.2 million dollars, according to al-Khaiwani.
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