Study: Yemen's fish production has been halved
English - Monday 06 April 2020 الساعة 05:24 pm
Aden, Newyemen, Private:
A new economic study said, the volume of fish production in Yemen has decreased by half, and exports have fallen to less than 70,000 tons annually, due to the protracted war and entered its sixth year, and the absence of support from the public and private sectors.
The study of "developing the fish sector in Yemen" attributed the decline in fish production to the lack of fuel and the high costs needed to operate the fishermen's boats, the displacement of many of them, due to the war, the stopping of private sector investment in developing the fish sector, and the almost complete absence of the Ministry of Fisheries.
It is estimated that Yemen produces about 200,000 tons of fish and marine species annually before the outbreak of the conflict, where between 40% and 50% of the total production was exported, resulting in an estimated revenue of about $ 300 million.
The most recent data published by the Ministry of Fisheries in 2012 showed that the fish sector contributed about 3% of GDP, and was the second largest source of export revenue after oil.
According to the study issued by the "Yemeni Economy Re-imagining Initiative" project, the absence of government oversight is almost complete, and the lack of support to catch and prepare fish, export and secure logistical services and international marketing, the most important challenges to the activities of the fish sector.
In addition to the absence of qualified employees, the challenges of communicating with importing countries, and the difficulties of registering the exporting companies in the European Union, the scarcity of scientific research, regarding the size and health of fish stocks, is the most prominent challenges facing the fish sector in Yemen.
The fish sector has also faced increasing environmental challenges during the last decade, such as: coral reef destruction, pollution, the effects of climate change, and violent weather phenomena such as cyclones, and it is almost certain that these factors have affected the size of the fish stocks.
The study "Development of the fish sector in Yemen", funded by the European Union, recommended the establishment of a fund to support exports of fish and fish products, assessing the national stock of fish and conducting studies on marine habitats.
The study also recommended that local councils be granted more executive powers temporarily, to assume the functions of the Ministry of Fish Wealth that cannot be exercised due to the war, and to design and implement partnerships between international organizations and the public and private sectors, to rehabilitate and improve the infrastructure.
The study called on international relief agencies to explore ways to support the fish sector in Yemen, to improve food security in the country.
The fish sector in Yemen is considered one of the promising sectors that would contribute to strengthening the national economy, as the length of the Yemeni coasts is more than 2500 km, and it is characterized by fish-rich areas, but it suffers from many challenges, which present many challenges.
According to the most recent data available from the Ministry of Fisheries, there are about 90 thousand licensed fishermen in the country, and the number of the workforce in fishing activities, and activities related to fishing, is about 500 thousand people who support nearly 7.1 million people.
A study conducted in 2018 showed that only 60% of fishermen own fishing boats, while the rest work for a daily wage, and that about a third of them own the boats in partnership with others.
