Yemen: restoring fishing-based livelihoods

Access to fish has become a major challenge for Yemeni fisherfolks today. Most fishermen in Shuqrah used to depend on fishing from nearby coastal waters, but these stocks have steadily decreased in recent decades due to overfishing, climate change, pollution. Now, fishermen have to sail long risky journeys, with inadequate equipment to catch enough fish to sell in the market.

According to FAO’s monitoring report, one in two fisherfolk households reported a decrease in fish production of over 50%, citing constraints to fish production activities due to a lack of fishing materials, reduced market demand and high fuel prices. This is likely to have serious implications on the livelihoods and food security of the households depending on the sale of fish products.

With funding from Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF), CARE started a project to improve food security levels in Khanfa, Zingibar, Rasad and Sarar districts of Abyan governorate in 2020. As part of the Lifesaving and Recovery Assistance project, CARE works to revive the fisheries sector through training fishermen in Shuqrah city on best fishing practices such as maintaining the quality of fish at the capture stage, proper onboard handling procedures and fish draining and gutting, and placing fish on ice to reduce bacterial buildup and prevent spoilage. Applying these careful hygiene procedures and cold storage measures throughout the fishing process can ensure top quality and good sales. For instance, the prices of good quality catches are two to four times higher than the prices of catches that were not properly handled.

Ashraf was fortunate to be trained on best fishing practices. After learning on-board handling procedures and cold storage techniques, he can now sell his catches at two to four times higher prices and get more profits.

“This project provided us with much-need fishing tools, such as fishing nets with their accessories, a set of ropes, safety vest, fishing line and a warning lamp,” says Ashraf. “Moreover, we received three installments of cash aid for three months – USD 50 per month.”

“In the past, we couldn’t sail long distances – at least fourteen nautical miles – to catch profitable fish like tuna,” he adds, “but in the last fishing season I was able to buy a large fishing engine that helped me reach deeper distances in the sea to catch tuna.”

CARE consultants worked hard to educate fishermen about the importance of installing coolers on their traditional boats as coolers take up more space in their small boats and affect their fish load. The consultants explained the great benefits of coolers by emphasizing the quality of their catches over quantity. “The prices of fish that we now sell in the market increased after we installed coolers on our boats, which helped us to keep the fish in high quality,” says Ashraf as he explains the financial impact of installing coolers in traditional boats.

The challenge of ensuring access to development is central to helping Yemen reposition itself for a more resilient future. CARE’s focus on quality improvement within the food security sector is leading to improved practices and results. It is an investment not only in strengthening fishers in the short term, but also to revitalize the quality of fish catches, improve livelihoods and maximize returns.

CARE and Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF) conduct a $4,300,000 food security and education project in Abyan (Khanfar, Zingibar, Rasad and Sarar districts), Hajjah (Aslem district), Taiz (Al Wazi’iyah districts) and Ibb (Al Udayn district) governorates. The food security component in Abyan provides fishing kits and on sustainable fishing practices to 500 households.