Piracy in Somali waters, which was almost eliminated last year, may be reemerging as public anger grows at increasing illegal foreign fishing. According to CEOAfrica source The STAR,Foreign fleets are reducing fish stocks, causing resentment among Somali coastal communities and threatening maritime security, a report released yesterday says.

The report titled Securing Somali Fisheries was launched at the Nairobi Serena Hotel.

It was produced by the One Earth Future Foundation.

Illegal foreign fishers catch more than 132,000 tonnes of fish a year, compared to Somalia’s 40,000 tonnes.

The report says Iran and Yemen have the largest fishing presence in Somali waters, while vessels from Europe and Asia have also landed significant catches.

In March, two Iranian vessels were seized by pirates.

The 16-man crew of one of these Iranian vessels, the Jaber, escaped along with the ship after being held for more than four-and-a-half months.

However, the crew of the other vessel, the Siraj, are still in the pirate’s hands.

In May, another Iranian vessel thought to be fishing illegally ran out of fuel and drifted onto shore in El-Dheer, an al Shabaab stronghold.

After paying a ‘fishing fee’, the crew and cargo were released.

Some 26 fishers on the hijacked Oman-flagged and Taiwanese-owned Naham 3 have been held hostage since 2012.

The report says foreign illegal fishing has been a problem for decades.

The fall of Siad Barre’s government in 1991 left Somali waters without a coast guard or naval capabilities.

In the 1990s, illegal fishing was a ‘justification’ for pirate attacks, causing many foreign fishing vessels to leave in mid 2000.