Puntland and Yemen Forge Pact to Combat Illegal Fishing

Somalia, 26 October 2025 – Puntland State and Yemen have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in their shared waters and protect vital marine resources.

The agreement comes as authorities in Puntland and Somaliland increasingly detain Yemeni nationals involved in illegal fishing, a trend officials link to Yemen’s decade-long civil war and economic collapse.

The meeting, held at the Puntland Ministry of Fisheries headquarters in Bosaso, included Puntland’s Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Abdirisak Abdulahi Hagaa, Puntland’s Minister of Commerce Ahmed Shire Said, Yemen’s Deputy Minister of Fisheries Hamid Abdallah Said, and other senior officials.

Both delegations aim to establish a sustainable framework for cooperation, which will not only ensure marine protection but also seek to boost local economies through new, legal trade and employment opportunities.

Fishing boats seized off the coasts of Puntland and Somaliland are often owned by fishermen from Yemen, with Yemeni nationals making up the majority of those arrested, according to the Puntland and Somaliland coast guard authorities.