Puntland’s maritime forces have seized three Iranian-owned fishing boats accused of operating illegally along the northeastern Somali region’s coastline, detaining more than 60 crew members in an operation that has renewed attention to the long-running dispute over foreign access to Somalia’s rich fishing grounds.
The Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) announced that the vessels had been intercepted while fishing in waters under Puntland’s jurisdiction. The boats and their crews were subsequently transferred to Caluula district in the Raas Caseyr region, where authorities said the case would be handled through the applicable legal procedures for illegal fishing.
The seizure places renewed scrutiny on the activities of foreign fishing vessels along Somalia’s extensive coastline, where local fishermen have repeatedly complained about competition from foreign operators and the alleged depletion of marine resources on which coastal communities depend.
Although the authorities have identified the boats as Iranian-owned, the available announcement does not name the vessels, specify the precise location where they were intercepted or explain what evidence led officials to conclude that they were fishing illegally.
The legal status of the boats and the circumstances surrounding their operations are therefore expected to become clearer as the case proceeds.
Why foreign fishing boats remain a concern in Puntland
The seizure comes against a backdrop of longstanding complaints from Somali fishing communities about foreign vessels operating along the country’s coastline.
Puntland’s coastal communities depend on fishing for food, employment and household income. For small-scale fishermen, the ability to access productive fishing grounds can determine how much they earn and whether they can sustain their families.
Local fishermen have complained that foreign vessels engage in destructive fishing practices and compete for resources that Somali communities regard as essential to their livelihoods. Their concerns have also extended to some foreign vessels that have received government-issued fishing licences, suggesting that the dispute is not confined to boats accused of operating without permission.
The latest announcement does not identify the specific fishing methods used by the three Iranian-owned vessels. It would therefore be premature to conclude that they were engaged in trawling or another particular form of destructive fishing.
A longstanding enforcement challenge
Illegal and unregulated fishing has been a recurring issue along Somalia’s northeastern coastline for years.
A 2013 United Nations monitoring report documented concerns about unlicensed fishing operations in Puntland’s waters, including vessels linked to Iranian and Yemeni owners. The report highlighted allegations of substantial fish extraction and the difficulty of enforcing fishing rules along a vast coastline.
More recently, Puntland authorities announced other operations against foreign vessels suspected of illegal fishing. In October 2025, the Puntland Maritime Police Force seized several foreign fishing vessels in a separate operation, with authorities reporting that some boats were Yemeni-owned and others Iranian-owned.