Fish exports increase by 27.9% [Archives:2004/732/Business & Economy]

Mahyoub Al-Kamaly
Yemen had last year achieved an increase in its exports of fish wealth by 27.9%, as production amount of fish jumped to 228.1 thousand tons compared to 1179 thousand tons in 2002.
A report issued by the ministry of fish wealth said the value of fish production rose by 16% to amount to YR 38.5 billion, equals $212.3 million compared to YR33.1 billion during the same period.
According to the report the Yemen's fish exports last year amounted to 63.6 thousand tons with an increase by 27.9% compared to exports of 2002.
While the production volume of traditional fishing reached 209.3 thousand tons in 2003 the proportion of artificial fishing dropped to 18.7 thousand, equaling a rate of 13.7% out of the total production of the year 2002 that amounted to 24.1thousand tons. The report also mentioned that the ministry of fish wealth had taken certain measures for reducing commercial fishing and to orient its investments to fishing in pure economic areas, 12 miles far from the lowest ebb limit.
The report rated the governorate of Mahra as in the first position in terms of production, as it has reached 75.8 thousand tons, followed by the governorate of Hadramout whose production amounted to 73.1 thousand tons while the last position in this regard has been occupied by the government of Hajjah with a production amount of 1428 tons.
The ministry of fish wealth had last year filed lawsuits against a number of fishing companies evading from paying their financial dues reaching around $ 5 million for granting them fishing licenses.
Statistics report that about 500 thousand people work in fishing along the coasts of Yemen that are 2500 km long. Among those people 50 thousand fishermen possess fishing boats of their own.
The Yemeni government is seeking to raise the proportion of its exports of fish especially to European markets where Yemeni fish products entertain good reputation. Concerned authorities have worked for intensifying their monitoring of territorial waters t prevent random fishing and protect marine wealth against exhaustion and destruction. Those measures are aimed at increasing revenues of the national income and providing the budget wit finances to bridge the budget deficit that amounts to about YR 63 billion.
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