43 fishermen arrive in Mocha. Head of the Fishermen's Association: Eritrea has been detaining five fishermen for seven months without cause.

On Friday evening, 43 Yemeni fishermen arrived on the coast of the city of Mokha, west of Taiz Governorate (southwest Yemen), after being detained by Eritrean authorities. Meanwhile, five other fishermen have been detained for seven months without any known reasons.

Hashem Al-Rifai, head of the Mocha Fishermen's Association, said, "The Eritrean authorities released 43 Yemeni fishermen from Wahajah, Mocha, and Al-Khokha, and they arrived on the coast of Mocha on Friday evening."

He told Yemen Youth Net, "The period of detention of the released fishermen ranged from five days to three months."

Al-Rifai revealed that "there are five fishermen who have been detained since last August 2024, and the Eritrean authorities have refused to release them without knowing the reasons."

Every now and then, Yemeni ports receive groups of fishermen released from Eritrean prisons, where they are subjected to torture and other abuses by various forces deployed in the Red Sea.

Fishermen are subjected to a range of violations, including the targeting of marine resources and the persecution of them by military forces stationed near Yemeni waters, including Eritrean forces.

The Eritrean authorities not only arrest Yemeni fishermen, but also subject them to various forms of psychological and physical persecution and torture.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the territorial waters of a State are the existing maritime zone extending from the territory to the high seas, starting from the baseline and not exceeding 12 nautical miles.

The international arbitration agreement between Yemen guaranteed the traditional fishing rights of citizens of both countries in any location along the coasts of both countries. It also granted them the right to market their products in Eritrean and Yemeni ports without discrimination or harassment.