Dangers of Foreign Fishing in Eritrea

Eritrea's pristine coast

Dangers of Foreign Fishing in Eritrea

By Thomas C. Mountain

Foreign trawlers have been fishing Eritrean waters for years now and producing a very alarming by catch, eels. Thousands of kilos of eels, literally tons of eels have been caught just in the past few years and this is alarming because eels only live in coral reefs.

You will never see eels swimming in the open waters where they are easy prey for the larger predator fish. So if eels are being caught by the foreign trawlers nets it can only mean that the these trawlers are dragging their nets across Eritrea’s reefs.

Eels actually spend most of their time hiding in holes in the reefs and only leave their homes to hunt amongst the corals that provide them with cover and safety from their enemies.

Trawler nets act like a rip saw tearing off the tops of the coral reefs and this frightens the eels so they flee their homes and are caught by the trawlers nets.

If eels are being caught by the foreign trawlers than there is only one reason, that the trawlers are dragging their nets across coral reefs.

The question has to be asked, is the relatively small amount of money paid to the Eritrean government by these foreign trawlers worth the destruction of Eritrean coral reefs?

Thomas C. Mountain is an independent journalist in Eritrea, living and reporting from here since 2006. His speeches, interviews and articles can be seen on Facebook at thomascmountain or best be reached at thomascmountain at g mail dot com

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