News - Yemen: Yemen’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources condemned the recent abduction of Yemeni fishermen by an armed Somali group.

In a statement issued Monday, the ministry reported that the armed group seized the fishing vessel Al-Maymoon 1, along with its 27-member crew from the occupied province of Hadhramaut, while they were fishing in the Ras Binnah area within maritime waters.

According to the ministry, the kidnappers took the fishermen to the Barqal area and demanded a ransom of $50,000 for their release, despite the fact that the boat and its crew held valid fishing licenses issued by a recognized Somali office.

The ministry denounced the incident as a flagrant violation of international maritime laws and a direct threat to the lives of Yemeni fishermen, as well as an infringement on their legitimate right to work in peace.

It noted that this is not the first such incident, citing the killing of Hadhrami fisherman Omar Nasser Sheikh from Mukalla by a Somali soldier a year ago — a crime for which no serious legal action has been taken.

The ministry held Somali authorities fully responsible for the safety of the detained fishermen and any harm they may face, urging immediate action to secure their release and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Yemeni fishermen have long faced escalating dangers while working in regional waters due to growing instability, piracy, and weak maritime law enforcement in the Horn of Africa. The waters between Yemen and Somalia, particularly around the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, are vital fishing zones but also hotspots for armed groups and criminal activity.

Since the outbreak of aggression on Yemen in 2015, the country’s fishing industry—one of the main sources of income for coastal communities—has been severely disrupted. In the absence of adequate protection or international oversight, Yemeni fishermen have increasingly become vulnerable to attacks, extortion, and even fatal encounters at sea.

Somalia, still grappling with its own internal conflicts and the presence of armed militias, has witnessed the resurgence of piracy and maritime banditry in recent years. These groups often target poorly defended fishing vessels, especially from neighboring countries like Yemen, seeking ransom or to assert territorial control over contested fishing grounds.

The kidnapping of 27 Yemeni fishermen in this case reflects not only the ongoing maritime insecurity but also the broader failure of regional cooperation and international maritime bodies to safeguard the livelihoods and safety of fishermen in one of the world’s most volatile sea lanes.