Small-scale fisheries catch and fishing effort in the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen) between 1950 and 2019

Small-scale fisheries in the Socotra Archipelago, Yemen, have shown significant changes over seven decades. The study reveals that while official reports estimate catches at around 20% of the actual total, reconstructed data shows a peak of 12,000 tons in 2000 followed by a decline and slight recovery to 3,700 tons by 2019. Artisanal fishing, once dominant, now accounts for less than half of catches, with subsistence fishing increasing significantly since 2010. Fishing effort has surged over 1000% since 1950, while catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) has dropped by 78%, indicating resource overexploitation. This research highlights the need for sustainable management of fish stocks in the archipelago to support local food security, especially during crises like Yemen's political instability.

Derrick, B., Burns, K., Zhu, A., Andreoli, V., Zeller, D., & Pauly, D. (2023). Small-scale fisheries catch and fishing effort in the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen) between 1950 and 2019. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1201661