Fishermen in Hadramout.. Constant Struggle and Escalating Challenges

Hadramout local authority established a subsidized fish selling point inside the Central Market in Mukalla in which the subsidized price is about 3200 riyals per kilo.

Bawazeer told "South24": “this idea is an interim solution not a long- term one. However, it has a positive impact in forcing the private sector fish sellers to decrease their prices to secure their survival in the market”.

He called the local authorities for obliging the fish societies to establish new selling points, as well as making a partnership between the authority and the Ministry of Fisheries,  represented by the Fisheries Authority to play a role in marketing the fresh fish, storing  at times of surplus and selling them when there is a lack of supplies”.

Bawazeer believes that "the fuel price hike, the lack of using gas and closing big areas of Fisheries due to security reasons have restricted the fishermen’s movements”.

The local fishermen’s ongoing use of the traditional technology "doesn’t serve them and increase their losses" according to Bawazeer.

Babulghom told "South24": “the frequent hurricanes and climate maritimes changes affected the fish production in most countries, and we are part of that”, adding that the real alarming problem is that “they are not aware of the amount of fish stock, according to which the fishing strategies are determines and the allowed fishing amount”.

According to Babulghom, the lack of fishing research is attributed to the absence of financial allocations or operational budgets for the Fisheries Authority unlike other bodies”.

Along with these challenges, the oil tanker “Champion1” previously caused an environmental disaster related to the Mukalla Coast in Hadramout in 2013. Its impact has lasted for a long time leading to the migration of some fish and the Coral reefs’ suffocation.

Bawazeer said that “the spill of the oil materials from the tanker at the time formed a solid residue on the sea level”, pointing out that the Coral reefs and the fish pastures breathe through light”.

Sources in the Mukalla Port told "South24" that “Champion1” committed more than 38 violations, and that the relevant authorities were informed and issued directions to suspend it. However, there was a stronger mediation that allowed it to resume activities”.

The sources said that the stranded ship, in Mukalla, still contains oil and petroleum materials”. They warned of continuing this situation in spite of the people’s demand to relegate the ship since 2013.

They added that the reason behind this is the fears by the concerned parties of evading paying the fines. The sources accuse them of colluding with the trader as shown in not filing any legal case against him till now. 

Despite those risks, Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries, Bawazeer, believes “there are no pollution dangers threatening the Mukalla Sea” adding that the locally so-called “Mawsim Al-Balda” naturally cleans the coral reefs from tanker’s oil and deposits..

Over the last years, The Maritime piracy operations have disappeared, as the Mukalla Port has not monitored any cases of looting, mugging or blackmailing in the Yemeni borders in general. 

Fouad Taysir Al-Rabbaki, Vice Chairman of the Council of the Arabian Sea Ports Corporation told "South24" that “the spread of piracy activities came after 2005 mostly in the Somali borders”.  According to him, “the suffering lies in the small size of the port and the platforms. However, we allow passing some tankers which are bigger than Platform No. 1 which is (177 m length, less than 30000 tons load, and a submersible not exceeding 9m). The presence of those giant ships constitutes big obstacles against the port”.

However, Al-Rabbaki said that the activities in the “small” Mukalla Port have not changed, adding that it managed to “feed” Yemen during 2015, 2016, and 2017.

The Port of Brum, west of Mukalla, is the future one which will make a qualitative shift for the maritime navigation in Hadramout, thanks to its strategic location. Therefore, Al-Rabbaki believes that the operation of other ports such as Qena, in Shabwa, will deliver a “blow” to Hadramout amid the lack of care and development of  the latter’s ports.

Amid the threats caused by the polluting foreign ships and overfishing, Captain Yaslam Mubarak Bouamr, Director General of the General Authority for Maritime Affairs told "South24": “Our problem is that Yemen didn’t sign on most international laws which give us some powers such as the “Maritime Pollution Law”. 

Naturally, the Mukalla Port has the power to pass some local laws, but this is not possible in light of absence of the Yemeni House of Representatives. Bouamr added that “issuing legislations will replace some international laws”.