http://af.reuters.com/article/eritreaNews/idAFL5E8D71UL20120207
Yemen says Eritrea holds Yemeni boats in fishing row
Tue Feb 7, 2012 2:03pm GMT
SANAA Feb 7 (Reuters) - Eritrea's navy has seized five Yemeni fishing boats
in the Red Sea in an area where the two countries have had a territorial
dispute, a Yemeni official said on Tuesday.
The incident is part of a dispute between Yemen and Eritrea over water
rights around the Red Sea's Hanish Islands, which the two countries briefly
fought over in 1995.
An international court gave Yemen sovereignty over some of the
archipelago's islands, but the two countries have disagreed on
interpretations of the ruling regarding fishing rights.
Eritrea has repeatedly captured Yemeni fishing boats that it says were
fishing in its territorial waters, Fisheries Ministry Undersecretary Nabil
Sajam told Reuters.
"Eritrean forces captured these boats. They do this regularly and accuse
the Yemeni fishermen of entering Eritrean waters," Sajam said.
Eritrean officials could not be immediately contacted to comment.
Yemen says both countries' territorial waters are open to Eritrean and
Yemeni fisherman, while Eritrea says that Yemenis are not allowed to fish
in its waters.
Yemeni fishing boats caught by Eritrean forces are usually confiscated,
while the fishermen on board are given jail sentences lasting for a few
months before being returned to their home country, Sajam said. (Reporting
By Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Nour Merza)
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Received on Tue Feb 07 2012 - 12:24:54 EST
