Yemeni authorities seized an Egyptian fishing boat with 21 fishermen on board, Fishermen Syndicate head Zarea al-Betany said Thursday.
The boat had the appropriate fishing license and set sail on 6 March, Betany said. He alleged that the boat was seized due to altercations between Egyptian and Yemeni fishermen.
The Yemeni authorities had chased the boat down and arrested the fishermen on board, Betany said, adding that “it would have been more reasonable for the Yemeni authorities to check the license and release the boat, rather than taking large amounts of fish and leaving the rest of the fish to spoil.”
Betany called on the Foreign Ministry to intervene for the release of the boat and the detained fishermen, adding that he is in constant contact with Egyptian officials to guarantee their release as soon as possible.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
