The coastguards of Somalia’s northeastern state of Puntland have confiscated ten small fishing vessels and several Yemeni sailors following operations along Puntland coastal areas.
In a statement, Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) said they seized the vessels which were carrying illegally fishing in Somali waters.
“The fishing vessels were equipped with modern instruments that could lead a total eradication of our marine resources,” the statement reads in part.
The forces said the suspects who hails from Yemeni will be arraigned in court after the conclusion of investigations into their cases.
Maritime experts classify Somalia among the countries with the weakest maritime security in the world.
Lack of proper monitoring and control has allowed foreign industrial vessels to exploit Somali marine resources or operate under dubious licenses over the years.
Some local fishermen have gone missing while others are tortured by the trawlers by spraying boiling water.
Since the collapse of the Somali government in 1991, Somalis were struggling to protect its fishery resources but due to lack of strong marine forces, the illegal fishing went out of hand.
Foreign fishing corporations have taken advantage of the defunct forces of the region and have been fishing in the Somali’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) unhindered.
