Over 80% of Fisheries Production Never Recorded
Thank you. The fisheries have been irking me for years. The numbers do not and never did add up. The diesel smuggling is much clearer, but the level of smuggling and under-reporting on the fisheries is astounding. The black market economy in Yemen is the main wheel of industry. If the massive corruption is what underpins political instability, then dismantling criminal networks is a primary requirement and a job beyond the capacity of SNACC as the political and military elite are the beneficiaries of the current system.
Is this a new Fisheries Minister? He’s taking quite a stand. There were also statements a few weeks ago accurately indicating the level of corruption in the Ministry as well as the industry. Random fisheries factoid, Abdelmajid al Zindani was on the corporate board of the Yemeni Fisheries Company, but it never made any money (very high expenses) and investors lost on the stocks.
Yemen Times SANA’A, Nov. 14- More than 40,000 tons of shrimp and squid were exported illegally from Yemeni coasts during 2008 and 2009, said the Minister of Fishery Wealth, Mohammad Shamlan.
In a workshop held on Monday about Health Safety Standards in the fishery sector and organized by the Yemeni Seafood Exporters Association, Shamlan explained that the shrimp was not checked in at the fish landing sites and not counted within the exported quantities.
Shamlan said influential people smuggle the expensive seafood for their own benefit because landing sites are not organized. “We want the law to be implemented,” he said.
The minister revealed some facts concerning fishery wealth. He said the real annual production of fisheries in Yemen is more than 600,000 tons but reports and data put the figure as only 120,000 tons. The country’s revenue from this wealth are more than YR 20 billion.
He said smugglers sell seafood at drastically reduced prices to avoid paying taxes and fees. “Do you know that a kilogram of fish, which is sold in local market for YR 2,000 or 3,000, is sold in landing sites for only YR 100,” he said, noting that the fishery sector in Yemen is not yet organized and full of irregularities.
“Fish wealth in Yemen is more important than oil. It contributes significantly in national economy and competes in international markets but this sector still needs reforms,” said the minister.
