Somali Fishermen in Elbur complain about illegal vessels

Fishermen in El-Buur Coastal town of north-eastern Somalia have complained about illegal fishing vessels that are proliferating at an alarming rate.

They have said that they are to stop their work after facing ‘’dangerous threats’’ from illegal foreign fishing vessels, who are illegally plundering region’s resources.

Ali Abdi Omar said that trawlers, dhows and other fishing vessels have begun to maintain increased presence in territorial waters.

He added that trawlers are not only depleting marine resources but destroyed fishing gears and nets of local fishermen.

Omar said the fishermen organised themselves  to curb illegal fishing, which is threatening fishing stocks and lives of hundreds of local fishermen.

“After long struggle, we finally armed ourselves and seized two illegal foreign fishing vessels together with several crew for illegally fishing in its waters,” said Omar.

Local Fishermen have continuously complained about foreign trawlers who are doing the illegal fishing and dumping waste.

Some fishermen have gone missing while others are tortured by the trawlers who at times spray boiling water from cannons.

Since the collapse of the Somali government in 1991, Somalia has struggled to protect its fishery resources. Foreign fishing corporations have taken advantage of the instability of the region and have been fishing in the Somali’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) unhindered.

The illegal fishing threatens Somalia’s coastal communities and many analysts have pointed to illegal fishing to be the impetus that drives piracy in Somalia.