“We’re Not All Pirates!”… Somali Fisherman To Be Issued ID Cards And Uniforms

By Jama Deperani, Somalia Report

Local fishermen in Somalia will now wear uniforms to differentiate them from the pirates, according to officials from Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia known for piracy.

Fishermen in Caluula, Mareero, Qandalla and Bargaal told Somalia Report that people are afraid to go fishing because of the threat from pirates who steal their boats, motors, and fuel and concerns international navies may mistake them for pirates.

To remedy this, Puntland officers have initiated a program to identify legitimate fishermen by issuing uniforms and ID cards.

“We know that pirate activities in the region have caused fear among local fishermen, so we need to help them. We will issue them with uniforms and ID cards. First we will register all local fishermen in Puntland. We have already begun in Bosaso and all coastal lands in Bari region,” Dr. Mohamed Farah Aadan, Puntland’s minister responsible for fishing, told Somalia Report. “We will inform our coast guards and international warships that there will be a clear difference between the pirates and fishermen,” he added.

(c) 2011 SomaliaReport.com