News – Yemen: Two Yemeni fishermen were martyred and a third injured by Eritrean naval gunfire while fishing in Yemeni territorial waters in the Red Sea.

Local sources reported that the bodies of the two martyrs were brought to the fishing port in Hodeidah, while the injured fisherman is receiving treatment at a hospital in the governorate.

Surviving fishermen stated that an Eritrean patrol boat opened direct fire on a jalba (small fishing boat) carrying 31 fishermen, resulting in the deaths and injury before detaining them in Eritrean waters for several hours.

They added that the attack was carried out using a modified machine gun mounted on a fiber-reinforced boat, which caused significant damage to their vessel and engines. Their personal belongings and fishing equipment were also confiscated.

Aziz Atini, Director General of Ports and Centers at the Red Sea Fisheries Authority, confirmed that the Eritrean navy’s actions constitute a flagrant violation of Yemeni sovereignty and a full-fledged crime, committed amid continued and unjustified international silence.

The Fisheries Authority called on relevant authorities and human rights organizations to urgently condemn the attack and take action to protect Yemeni fishermen from repeated assaults and violations within Yemen’s territorial waters.

Fisheries constitute one of the pillars of economic development in Yemen due to its renewable resources that contribute to the sustainability of the gross domestic product. It provides job opportunities for thousands of Yemenis, in addition to the productive and service activities related to this vital and strategic sector, which generates revenues to support the economic and social development in Yemen.

The countries involved in the aggression deliberately target the fish and marine sector in Yemen as part of their tendencies to extend and control Yemen's ports and islands and control its coasts and beaches.

The targeting methods consisted of bombing fishing boats and fishing landing centers, in addition to confiscating boats in the coastal areas that they controlled. They prevent the practice of fishing in many areas designated for years for fishing, in addition to dredging, looting and tampering with marine resources.