Over 200 Turkish fishermen stranded in Africa

Hundreds of fishermen on 25 Turkish fishing boats that received permission from Turkey to head toward Spain from the Mediterranean became stranded in Mauritania when they passed the border and headed toward offshore Africa. The fishermen, who have been trapped for three months, started to fish off the coast of Mauritania two years ago. The ships are bound and costly penalties were imposed.

The Turkish fishermen were granted permission from Turkey’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock to fish offshore from Spain for two months. The fishermen headed out to the Mediterranean with 25 ships and a crew of approximately 500.

They fished offshore from Spain for approximately 60 days. Instead of returning to the territorial waters of Turkey within the legal period, the fishermen went toward the offshore waters of western Africa.

After passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, the fishermen reached one of the world’s richest fisheries located offshore from Mauritania.

Close to three months ago, the Mauritanian government started to impose costly penalties to Turkish fishing boats.

Turkey has no fishing agreement with Mauritania. The fishermen were issued with a fine on the grounds that they had been caught in an unauthorized area.

The 25 boats and hundreds of Turkish fishermen remaining at the Nouadhibou Port of Mauritania are calling out to Turkey for help.

The fishermen, who reached out to Yeni Şafak through their relatives, request the help of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Ahmet Eşref Fakıbaba.

The Turkish Embassy in Mauritania is involved in the process.

Veysel S., one of the fishermen stuck in Mauritania, said that the fines ranged from between 800,000 to 2 million TL.

He added that they were not able to return to Turkey because they could not pay the penalties, and called on Fakıbaba for help.

Among the 25 stranded ships are 20 seine boats and five trawlers. The Turkish fishermen were shocked by the fines.

Adnan Şenol, one of the boat captains who traveled to Mauritania, made striking statements about the Mauritanian government. Şenol pointed out that the government of Mauritania, under the influence of Saudi Arabia, started to punish the Turkish fishing boats during the Qatar crisis.