SAUDI AUTHORITIES INTERCEPT 13 YEMEN FISHING BOATS

HODIEDAH, May 14 (Saba)- Saudi authorities have impounded 13 fishing
boats owned by Yemeni fishermen when they were in international
waters of the Red Sea, security sources said on Friday.

The sources were quoted by the Security Information Center of
Interior Ministry of Yemen as saying that the Saudi authorities
impounded the fishing boats with the fishermen at a Saudi island and
confiscated the contents and engines of the boats.

The Yemeni fishermen said to the information center that the Saudi
authorities had deported them to Yemen through land, adding that
their boats have been held by Saudi Arabia.

The security sources said Yemeni authorities are to follow the case
to reveal all the details.

In recent years, many Yemeni fishing boats were seized by Yemen's
neighbors with fishermen onboard harassed. In 2009, dozens of Yemeni
fishermen were released after Saudi, Sudanese and Eritrean
authorities held their boats while fishing in the Red Sea.

The Eritrean authorities seized since 2006 until the first quarter
of 2010 about 384 Yemeni fishing boats.

The boats cost US$4,500 and the seizures have left 3,799 Yemeni
fishermen jobless. Most of the seizures took place while the boats
were fishing in international waters.

Crews sometimes were arrested, taken to Eritrea and sent back after
their boats and all properties onboard had been confiscated by the
Eritrean.

The Yemeni Fishermen Cooperative Union has urged the government to
intervene and contact the Eritrean authorities over releasing the
Yemeni boats and other fishermen properties.

YA