FSO Safer: Risks to Yemen - Fishing
The conflict has already been harmful to Yemen's fishing industry. The Safer could make it worse.
An important industry before the war
Before the war broke out in 2014, Yemen’s fishing industry played an important part of its economy and in the lives of its people. Employing more than half a million people in fishing and fishing-related activities, upon whom 1.7 million people (18% of the coastal communities population) relied for their livelihood, it was Yemen’s second biggest export after oil and gas. Total fisheries production came to about 200,000 tons per year, 40-50% of which went for export, generating US$300 million in annual revenue.
Yemen’s fishing industry is dominated by small-scale or ‘artisanal’ operations, employing over 80,000 small-scale fisherman and contributing towards over 90% of total production. Utilising either small 7-16 metre-long fiberglass boats called ‘huris’ with an outboard motor and crew of 2-6, or larger 10-20 metre wooden boats called ‘sambuks’ with either an outboard or inboard motor and crew of 10-25+, they operate seasonally due to the prevalence of winter (November to February) and summer (June to September) monsoons.
Huris had always been used for fishing close to the coast (within 40 kilometres) but due to higher operating costs such as fuel and lower fish stocks from overfishing, they began to need to travel further out and stay out longer (up to 10 days). Sambuks are used for longer journeys and travel times (from a few days to a few weeks).
In terms of types of fish being caught recorded as of 2012, Large Pelagics (mainly Yellowfin tuna, but also Spotted Shark, Little tuna, Kingfish and Longtail tuna) and Small Pelagics (Spined anchovy and Indian Mackerel) made up about 30% each. Cephalopods (Cuttlefish and Octopus) and Demersal (Snapper, Gold band fusilier and Charcoal grouper) contributed 7% and 5%, respectively; the remainder were made up of other various species. Delivered to landing sites developed in the decades before the war, they are stored and sold by auctioneers to various buyers.
Things deteriorate after the war
However, since the outbreak of hostilities, the fishing industry has been severely impacted.
According to a Norwegian Refugee Council report in August 2019:
Nearly 1/3 of agricultural production and fishing had disappeared.
The cost to the fishing sector “as a result of damage to harbours, landing centres and boats” had been nearly US7 billion.
“2 fishing depots and 35 boats were reported damaged or destroyed by airstrikes, shelling and sea mines in 2018.”
“At least 334 fishermen have been reported killed or injured since 2015 (source: Yemen’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority statistics).”
Prior to the recently lapsed 6-month truce between the Saudi-led Coalition and the Houthis, the former had imposed a blockade on the port of Hodeidah to contain the Iranian-backed Houthis who still hold control of the strategic Red Sea port, including tight restrictions on where and how far local fishermen could go and fish off the coast. Ostensibly done to protect themselves from arms smuggling and attacks, there have been numerous and continual instances of deadly direct and indirect firepower reportedly directed at fisherman, from both air and sea. These dangers, as well as those which come from mines being planted out at sea by both parties, have understandably increased the price of fish, already heightened due to the scarcity of fuel.
The drying up of opportunities in the Red Sea has seen many forced to move south to escape the conflict. Yet even away from areas under Houthi control they have been targeted, including off the coast of Aden as well as in the narrow and strategic Bab el Mandeb Strait between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, through which a lot of oil tankers and large container ships pass. In one particularly egregious and tragic six week period, between August to September 2018 six boats were attacked by Coalition from air and sea, killing 50 out of the 86 fishermen on board. Fishermen have even been captured and taken to Saudi Arabia where they have been imprisoned for periods of time and allegedly tortured. This has led to some fishermen sailing even further away from Yemen to find a viable source of fish, including the frequently treacherous waters of Djibouti and Somalia, where pirates as well as not always friendly coast guards and government officials roam, but they have also reported instances of kindness shown to them by locals.
As a result, many fishermen have quit and lost their income; due to the war some have even joined the Houthis. By 2020, production had reportedly dropped by a half, with exports only reaching 70,000 tons per year. This has not been helped by the destruction and closure of infrastructure such as fish markets and landing sites.
Enter the FSO Safer
If the Safer were to spill its oil cargo, this would see the closing of fisheries, pollution of sea and fish stock, shutting down of processing of fish to prevent contamination spreading to the wider community and the closing of ports such as Hodeidah and Salif for export.
The impact of the communities which rely on the fishing industry would be significant, with some estimates ranging from around 17,000 to 35,000 fishermen losing their jobs, as well as 235,000 other workers in the fishing industry.
Current projects and investments in rebuilding the fishing industry, such as those by the World Bank and the UNDP, would also be put at risk.