By Goth Mohamed Goth
Somaliland Coast guards have in the past two weeks confiscated at least 51 fishing vessel and have detained nearly 256crew, the highest number ever.
Reliable sources have confirmed that Somaliland Coastal Guards have detained unknown number of fishermen and at least 51 trawlers involved in illegal fishing during a routine patrol in Saylac to Conqor which lies between Maydh and Shalcaw in Sanaag region of Somaliland.
The unknown number of detained fishermen and their forty trawlers had neither licenses nor permission to fish in Somaliland waters hence violating international laws by stealing and looting the natural resources of this eastern African nation.
These foreign fishermen and their vessels had illegally and knowingly entered the Somaliland waters clandestinely, of which they tend to fish far from the coast and often in the middle of the night.
The forty or so fishing trawlers and their crew are currently been held in a naval bases in the port of Saylac , Berbera and the Maydh waiting to arranged in court of law to face charges of illegal fishing and plunder the wealth of a sovereign nation.
Their actions have violated the laws of the country by adversely impacting fisheries, marine ecosystems, food security and coastal communities living Somaliland.
This is the not first time these foreign owned vessels and their crew has been caught fishing illegal inside Somaliland territorial water.
Somaliland is determined to deter all foreign fishing trawlers from its waters and has in the past two halted the issuing of permits to foreign fishing boats.