Eritrean – Yemen disagree over Red Sea fishing [Archives:2002/20/Local News]

The Eritrean Justice Minister, Fuzia Hashem left Sana’a last Friday after a visit lasting three days.
A written letter from the Eritrean president was handed to the president Saleh revolving around the latest developments in the Horn of Africa and the bilateral relations between Sana’a and Asmara.
Political resources said that Yemeni-Eritrean relations are decidedly cool because the two sides don’t reach a clear elucidation of the verdict of the International Court of Justice concerning fishing in the Red Sea.
Fishing in the Red Sea has become a thorny issue between the two countries. Yemeni officials say that Yemen and Eritrea have the right to fish in the joint territorial waters according to the verdict issued by the International Court of Justice in the Hague.
Eritrea sees that the verdict of the International Court of Justice is only related to the Hunaish archipelago where disputes were settled between the two sides and that the two countries have to adhere to the verdict of the International Court of Justice.
Eritrean officials have expressed through Eritrean media their resentment upon the misinterpretation of the verdict.
Eritrean sources said that the Yemeni fishermen have no right to approach the Eritrean beaches away from the disputable area. Similarly, the Eritrean fishermen have no right to approach the Yemeni beaches away from the Hunaish archipelago towards the east.
“Some officials in Yemen determine to interpret the verdict illogically. Yemen incites its fishermen to fish in the territorial waters and above all we allow them to fish in the Eritrean territorial waters on a condition that they have to sell fish in the Eritrean cities,” an Eritrean official said.
A Yemeni official who request anonymity said that in order to reach a satisfactory solution, dialogues have to be resumed between the two countries or it is better to restore to the International Court of Justice for tackling properly the misinterpretation of the verdict.

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