Somalia – Fishermen are at risk of being targeted by the international counter piracy task force

Mogadishu – Somalia 10/12/2018

Getting into the sea for fishing purposes became very risky for Somali fishermen who feel threatened as ships of the international counter piracy task force deploy off the Somalian coast, putting fishermen at risk of being targeted by these ships, which might confuse their boats with pirate boats. Several fishermen pointed out that fishing certain species of fish to meet the local markets’ needs have become very challenging when these ships are spread off the coast, which negatively impacted the fishermen’s business. Many fishermen appeal to the government to support them and reduce the restrictions, and help develop the marine wealth, which does not exceed 3% of the country’s exports, and contributes with around 2% of the Gross domestic product according to international organizations.