Yemeni Fishermen Abandon Trade as Red Sea Dangers Escalate Amid Ongoing Conflict

What happened

Al Jazeera Yemen reports that fishermen in Yemen’s Red Sea coastal areas, including al-Makha and al-Khawkhah, are facing deadly dangers as the sea has effectively become a conflict zone since the war’s outbreak in 2015. Fishermen like Mazhar recount incidents of attacks on fishing boats causing casualties, including the loss of two fishermen in al-Khawkhah, with no official explanation for the attacks.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. Fishing communities have suffered from restrictions on their access to traditional fishing grounds, enforced by multiple conflict parties including the Houthis and pro-government forces. These restrictions, combined with the presence of sea mines, have dramatically reduced fishing activities and forced many to fish closer to shore, increasing their vulnerability and reducing their catches, which undermines their sole source of income and family sustenance.

The Red Sea fishing industry, once Yemen’s second-largest export sector after oil, has plummeted with fish exports falling by approximately 70 percent since early in the war, as reported in a 2018 study referenced by the source. This decline is compounded by the war’s maritime front, with control of key strategic points like the port of Hodeidah and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait contested by the Houthis in the north and pro-government forces further south.

Known from the source

• Since 2015, Yemen’s Red Sea coast has been an active conflict zone impacting fishermen.
• Fishing boat attacks have occurred, including a recent incident in al-Khawkhah that killed two fishermen.
• Fishing restrictions have been imposed by multiple conflict parties, limiting access to traditional fishing grounds.
• Fish exports from the Red Sea area have fallen about 70 percent since the war’s early years, according to a 2018 study.
• Houthis control most territory from Yemen’s northern border to Hodeidah; pro-government forces operate south of Hodeidah.

What remains unclear

The conflict’s maritime aspect has intensified since late 2023, with Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea including strikes on Saudi vessels, prompting retaliatory airstrikes by the US, UK, Israel, and Saudi Arabia on Houthi targets. This escalation has further militarized the waters and heightened risks for civilian fishermen, some of whom have reportedly been arrested on suspicion of smuggling or aiding factions, a claim denied by the affected fishermen.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verification of which parties were responsible for the recent fatal attack on the fishing boat at al-Khawkhah. Independent confirmation of the number of fishermen missing since 2023. Clarification on arrests of fishermen for alleged smuggling or faction support claims.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Al Jazeera Yemen. Open the source.