Somalia losses over $ 300 million annually to Illegal overfishing, Admiral Farah

Illegal foreign trawlers are depleting fish stocks of the coast of Somalia has left Somali authorities, local fishermen concern over the nation’s natural marine resources.

“Foreign fishing vessels are still seen as a threat to the livelihoods of Somali fishers. Somalis feel they cannot defend themselves against this threat,” said Farh Omar, a fisherman who spoke to Goobjoog News in Mogadishu.

He highlighted that the foreign fishing risks depleting a resource that should promote food and economic security for Somalis.

Toxic and nuclear waste dumping in both off-shore and on-shore areas of Somalia also play very undeniable role in the depletion of our marine sources.

Admiral Farah Qare, speaking to Goobjoog News said that foreign trawlers get 300 million annually from Somalia’s water by carrying out over-fishing in unmonitored the Indian Ocean waters.

“We are informing Somali government to take immediate action on these imminent dangers facing our ocean, these are degradation of marine resources, water pollution and turtles which are on the verge of extinct” said Admiral.

He added”Rampant bottom-trawling also causes substantial damage to important coastal ecosystems that are needed to sustain local fisheries.”

“Decades of unregulated fishing by foreign vessels and a severe lack of fisheries management have taken their toll. We estimate the total economic value of domestic fisheries, after value is added through the supply chain, to seafood industries through improved value addition,”