Egypt’s immigration ministry urges fishermen to avoid other nations’ territorial waters

CAIRO – 9 January 2021: Egypt’s Immigration Ministry urges fishermen to immediately stop accessing economic waters of other countries, after many Egyptian fishing boats have been seized in Tunisia over illegal fishing.

The ministry said the state’s authorities are working to avoid fishermen from accessing other nations’ territorial waters, out of respect to its international and legal commitments and its keenness to protect Egyptian fishermen.

The ministry said relatives of 61 fishermen from Kafr El-Sheikh in northern Egypt have asked the ministry for help as the fishermen have been held in Tunisian Sfax port for three weeks.

It added that the ministry immediately acted to ensure the safety of the detained fishermen.

The fishermen were illegally fishing in the Tunisian economic zone when they were seized, the ministry said, noting that they are all fine.

The authorities in Tunisia are verifying the fishermen’s identities to make sure they are all Egyptian nationals, in preparation for other procedures, the ministry added.