Looks like all the illegal fishing theives have been scared to fish off the coast of somalia
Fishermen's fears over Somali pirates hits tuna catch
« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »View GalleryPublished Date: 23 January 2009
By Richard Lough
TUNA catches in the southwestern Indian Ocean fell by as much as 30 per cent last year as pirates blocked access to some of the world's richest waters, off Somalia, fisheries experts have said.
European fleets say the Somali pirates, who are better known for their hijackings of commercial vessels including the Saudi supertanker, Sirius Star, threaten an industry worth up to £4.3 billion across the Indian Ocean region.
France and Spain, which both base fleets in the Seychelles, would expect to haul in nearly two-thirds of the year's catch off Somalia between August and November, Alejandro Anganuzzi, head of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, said.
"Instead they had to look further east and probably caught 50 per cent of what they would usually catch," he said.
Some 50 trawlers use the capital Victoria's port, through which up to 350,000 tonnes of tuna are handled each year.
Somalia has said piracy was merely a symptom of rampant illegal fishing by vessels from Europe and Asia in its waters after the country's central government collapsed in 1991.
Pirates attacked tuna boats at least three times last year, leading to one ransom of more than £725,000.
