Deteriorated investment in fish wealth [Archives:2002/38/Business & Economy]

YEMEN TIMES STAFF
Fish wealth in Yemen is still object of interest and attention of the government in its bid to attract investment in this vital sector. It contributes to alleviating the burden produced by decline in oil resources owing to drop of its prices on world markets.
Yemen Times has learnt that there are some reports confirming reduction in the proportion of those having desire in fisheries and marketing and the industry of their catch especially by the local private sector. Reports also point out that there is a hyper exhaustion of the fish wealth and marine life in spite of the warnings made by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAW) that included the necessity of curbing random fishing.
Reasons behind hesitation in local investment
Official reports revealed that the lack of laws and regulations organizing investment of the fish wealth of Yemen causes hesitation of local capitals from being exploited in this significant area. Therefore, formation of a ministerial committee on fish wealth came to tackle the current situation of fish wealth in order to attain encouraging results pushing capitals towards investment in commercial fishing aimed at increasing production and development of exports.
Yemen’s fish wealth is exposed to random exhaustion threatening of disappearance of good fish categories. Companies working in the field of commercial fisheries focus particularly on cuttlefish, shrimp and sharoukh which consequently would lead to their becoming extinct. Official reports also draw many negative images on illegal commercial activity for instance fish smuggling. Also, investors and producers experiencing commercial fishing usually violate the rules that guarantee rights of the two sides. Their goal is increasing their profits and exceeding the limited annual production ceilings. In addition, they use fishing ships not equipped with freezing facility and that would lead to decay of the surplus.
Yemeni fishermen have repeatedly complained from some trading companies boats violating laws and agreements concluded with the Yemeni side and their removing or tearing fishing traditional equipment for going beyond the specified three-mile distance measured from the nearest islands for local fishing. Naval sources say that some unidentified ships approach areas of traditional fishermen, load their nets with fish and then flee the area particularly when people ask them questions on their identity and the side that permitted them to fish there.
Volume of production
Statistics mention that in 1990-2000 the proportion of utilizing fish wealth in Yemen has amounted to 30% of fish reserves available for fishing. Statistics add proceeds of the highest rate of Yemen’s production from fish reserve amounted in 1997 to YR 788,7 million but in 2000 they dropped to YR 299,6 million. Nevertheless, there are 14 firms that took part in installing projects and facilities for fish investment and contributed to improving ways of fishing for the purpose of increasing organized production. Those interested in fish wealth in Yemen mainly attribute ill exploitation of marine life to failure in the governmental performance and the concerned sides. The ministry of fish wealth is suffering from surplus in their employees, inefficient installations, weakness of technical studies and high bureaucracy in departments concerned with protection of fish wealth.
The volume of those working in fishing profession is estimated at around 150 thousand fishermen and the population of fishermen villages in the coastal stripe is about one million and 800 thousand people.
Members of littoral areas population suffer from outdated fishing equipment and low level of their living. Despite that the volume of their production reached in 2000 to around 100 thousand tons. Fishermen villages are also lacking of basic services, weakness of freezing means and weakness of their marketing structure that usually deteriorate their production.
The ministerial committee formed by the council of ministers for protecting fish wealth has great responsibility to shoulder for standing up against destruction of this wealth and expose the parties granting licenses beyond their specialties.
The committee has to respond to recommendations made by the consultative council that opened the opportunity for discussing the phenomenon of destroying the fish wealth and demanded exposition of the corrupt to bring them to accountability.

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