Citizens in Yemen’s southern province of Abyan have on Monday stopped exporting shipments of fish to Saudi Arabia, denouncing the high local prices and the fact that the export deprives the local population of their access to fish.
According to a local source, dozens of Mudiyah district members intercepted locomotives loaded with large quantities of fish.
The source added that the people cut off the international connection, and prevented the transports from continuing their way, forcing the locomotives back to Aden and Shuqra to sell the fish on local markets, in protest against the export of fish at a time when the province’s people are suffering from famine.
The residents stressed that they made the move in order to express their rejection of the looting of the province’s wealth by corrupt officials.
Saudi Arabia has occupied much of the Yemeni shores, and have been subjected multiple fisheries to widespread looting and dredging of marine life by internationally prohibited fishing methods, ranging from explosivea to illegal nets. Additionally, Saudi ships regularly target Yemeni fishermen in the exercise of their profession, which they depend on for a living.
