Thousands of Yemeni fishermen are abandoning their trade due to the increasing dangers in the Red Sea, which has become a warzone. Mazhar, a fisherman based in the city of al-Makha on Yemen's Red Sea coast, has struggled to make a living since the war arrived in the region in2015. The fisherman, who has a family relying on his income, faces a bigger problem: the risk of not returning home whenever he sets out to sea. Recently, a fishing boat in al-Khawkhah was fired on, resulting in the loss of two colleagues, and Mazhar knows fishermen who have gone missing without a trace.
The Red Sea fishing industry, which was once the country's second-largest source of export earnings after oil, has been severely impacted by the war. Fish exports from the region have fallen by about 70 percent, according to a 2018 study. The region is strategically important, with Yemen's principal port of Hodeidah sitting about 160 kilometers up the coast from al-Makha, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait controlling entry into one of the world's most vital waterways. The coastline has been heavily contested since the early days of the war, with the Houthi rebels controlling most of the territory from Yemen's border with Saudi Arabia down to Hodeidah.
The Houthis have begun regularly striking shipping passing through the region, prompting the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Saudi Arabia to strike Houthi targets in Yemen. Mazhar explained that fishermen now face strict boundaries at sea that they cannot cross, and are denied access to their reefs for military reasons. "We are the victims of every faction fighting in our area," Mazhar said. "In the end, it is the fishermen who suffer to provide for their families. We have no hand in this war, yet we bear its worst consequences."
Akram, another fisherman in al-Makha, described the danger of sea mines, recalling an incident where a sea mine exploded under a boat near the shore in al-Khawkhah, killing two of his neighbors. Fouad Doubla, head of the Fishermen's Association in al-Khawkhah, told Al Jazeera that more than 30,000 fishermen have been affected by the conditions on the Red Sea coast, with 113 fishermen going missing since2023. The presence of sea mines has killed 264 fishermen and maimed 215 others, forcing many to stop fishing and look for alternative work.
Many fishermen are now looking for a different way to make money, with some relocating to safer areas. Ismail, a 48-year-old fisherman, decided to leave the profession behind entirely last year, selling his gear and using the proceeds to start a new business. Akram plans to relocate to Aden, where he believes fishing on Yemen's southern coastline will be safer. "Nothing is worth risking our lives for," Akram said. "The families of those who were lost are now struggling just to find enough food. I encourage my colleagues to join me and move to a safe area."
