Sanaa gov’t warns foreign ships of dredging of Yemen’s fish wealth

SANAA, Sept. 09 (YPA) – The National Salvation government in Sanaa warned on Saturday foreign commercial ships of the continued dredging of fish wealth and coral reefs of Yemen.

In a news statement, the ministry of fisheries denounced the recent involvement of the coalition-backed government in allowing Chinese ships to fish in Yemeni waters illegally and a violation of the international law.

The statement confirmed the presence of an illegal Chinese fishing fleet equipped with high technology, fuel ships, and transport boats, is working to catch and dredge stocks of squid and other types of fish and marine creatures in the Sea of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The statement affirmed that the illegal Chinese fishing operations that may lead to depriving Yemen of its wealth and the sharp decline of fish and their non-reproduction in Yemeni territorial waters, considering this a real threat to livelihoods and fish stocks because the erosion of coral reefs and the death of quantities of fish and marine organisms.

It called on the international community and environmental organizations to intervene urgently to protect Yemeni fish wealth and coral reefs from systematic destruction.

AA