Somali government warns illegal fishing boats about entering territorial water

Fishermen beach their boats after they returned from fishery in Moghadishu, Somalia on February 26, 2017 [Sadak Mohamed – Anadolu Agency]

The Somali government has warned illegal fishing boats not to enter its territorial waters without obtaining the necessary permit.

“These boats must leave the country’s territorial waters immediately or we will seize them,” explained Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Abdillahi Bidhan Warsame. “We need anyone who can help us to deal with them.”

Warsame pointed out that most of the 43 boats are located along the coasts of Galmudug and Puntland, which could lead to the return of piracy.

The minister called on the anti-piracy forces in the region to assist the federal government with official data related to these boats that are fishing illegally in Somali waters.

The government in Somalia started to issue fishing licences last year in an effort to further enhance maritime security.

READ: US resumes military assistance to Somalia

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