Hiiraan Online

Mogadishu (HOL) - Somalia's Banadir Regional Court has reopened a case against 36 Iranian and Pakistani fishermen previously convicted of unlicensed fishing operations. The defendants were apprehended off Hobyo's coast, in the Mudug region, and are currently appealing their convictions.

Previously, the court fined each defendant $11,000 and ordered a collective payment of $30,000 to the Somali government for compensation of the illegally harvested fish. Salah Ali Mohamud, the Chairman of the Banadir Regional Court, stated that the case had been reviewed three times before a verdict was issued.

Mohamud said the verdict reinforces the Somali government's commitment to protect marine resources, fight against illegal fishing, and hold foreign fishermen accountable for violations.

The Somali Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy has reported an increase in the number of foreign vessels operating illegally in the Somali Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) since January 2023. These illicit activities, classified as Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, have been causing considerable environmental and economic damage to the region for decades.