Since the outbreak of armed conflict in Yemen in late 2014, fishing has emerged as one of the most perilous professions in the country. Over the past decade of war, Yemeni fishermen in the west have endured significant losses in lives, assets, and livelihoods. One of the most pressing threats they face is systematic kidnapping and piracy by the Eritrean Navy. These forces actively pursue Yemeni fishermen with boats and warships, opening fire on them, detaining them arbitrarily, forcibly disappearing them for extended periods, and subjecting them to torture.
Militarization of Yemeni territorial waters
The fishing community in Yemen has been profoundly impacted by the ongoing unrest, with many losing their livelihoods, boats, and equipment, rendering them unable to support themselves and their families. The militarization of both Yemeni and international waters by warring parties has transformed the seas into battle zones, while popular fishing areas have been banned, making trips increasingly perilous. Numerous fishermen have lost their lives in the Red Sea due to violations of wartime laws, including airstrikes on boats and fish markets, naval mines, live ammunition, drowning, and torture.
A significant threat to Yemeni fishermen comes from the incursions of Eritrean naval forces into Yemeni waters. These forces disregard Yemen's sovereignty, pursuing, shooting at, and arbitrarily detaining fishermen, which severely undermines their livelihoods. Fishermen have reported that they fish within designated areas and possess official permits to operate, fulfilling their financial obligations to local authorities. However, Ethiopian forces also intrude into Yemeni waters, abducting fishermen from the very areas where they traditionally fish, whether in waters controlled by the Iranian-backed Ansar Allah (Houthis) or along coasts and islands held by UAE-backed joint forces in western Yemen.
Human rights reports reveal that Eritrean naval forces have perpetrated numerous grave violations against Yemeni fishermen, including children. These atrocities include killings, maiming, arbitrary detentions, and enforced disappearances for extended periods, often without any means for detainees to contact their families or lawyers.
Repeated Violations Against Fishermen
In the 1990s, Yemen and Eritrea established understandings to regulate fishing between the two countries, permitting fishermen from both sides to operate in each other's territorial waters. This arrangement followed rulings by the International Court of Justice in 1998 and 1999 that addressed traditional fishing practices between the neighboring nations. Consequently, Eritrean actions against Yemeni fishermen represent a blatant violation of these international agreements.
Human rights reports reveal that Eritrean naval forces have perpetrated numerous grave violations against Yemeni fishermen, including children. These atrocities include killings, maiming, arbitrary detentions, and enforced disappearances for extended periods, often without any means for detainees to contact their families or lawyers. Conditions in detention are appalling, and detainees frequently endure torture and cruel, degrading treatment, such as beatings with sticks, forced labor, and withholding of food and water. These abuses occur within military facilities in Eritrea, particularly in the Marsa Fatima area and on the Eritrean islands of Tarma and Harmal.
According to data from the Houthi-controlled Red Sea Fisheries Authority, 882 fishermen were kidnapped in 2021, while the number reached to 750 in 2022. In 2023, the Eritrean authorities released over 350 Yemeni fishermen who had been detained.
Most recently, on August 27, 2024, 72 Yemeni fishermen were released after being kidnapped from international waters earlier that month. They returned to the port of Al-Khokha, located south of Al Hodeidah.
Fishermen Lack Alternative Options
Yemeni fishermen are enduring a profound tragedy due to ongoing violations by the Eritrean Navy, including the confiscation of their equipment, alongside the high-risk challenges posed by the ongoing war in Yemen. Lacking viable alternatives, they are compelled to continue fishing despite the dangers, driven by desperate living conditions, rising costs, and the absence of other income sources. This situation highlights their despair and the difficult choices they face, exacerbated by the failure of Yemeni authorities to fulfill their duty to protect them.
Moreover, the inability of human rights organizations to access Eritrean detention centers where Yemeni fishermen are held is deeply concerning. This lack of transparency raises serious questions about the treatment and conditions these fishermen endure, which violate international human rights standards. The internationally recognized Yemeni government must engage diplomatically and take responsibility for the plight of Yemeni fishermen, especially considering that hundreds remain in arbitrary detention in Asmara.
