Yemen

This Law, consisting of 78 articles divided into VI Parts, aims at protecting and developing marine creatures and their marine environment from random fishing and detriment practices; encouraging and organizing investment in fishing and exploiting marine creatures and their marketing; organizing artisanal and coastal fishing activities to replace foreign industrial fishing; encouraging investments in aquaculture; promoting an integrated information database; strengthening marine control and surveillance; supporting research for sustainable exploitation of marine creatures; and protecting fish production quality through development of artisanal fishing.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources announced the closure of the coastal shrimp fishing season in the Red Sea within Yemen's territorial waters, effective 30 April 2026. The decision is based on recommendations from research and fisheries bodies and comes within the framework of preserving fishery resources and ensuring the sustainability of aquatic life reproduction in territorial waters. Violators will face the penalties stipulated in the Law Regulating the Fishing, Exploitation, and Protection of Aquatic Life, its executive regulations, and other applicable laws.

National Park: natural areas of land or sea designated to protect the ecological integrity of the unique ecosystems of Socotra islands for present and future generations to provide a foundation for scientific, educational, and recreational opportunities, beside the appropriate development activities for ecotourism. Nature Sanctuaries: these are areas of land or sea characterized by rare plant or animal species still retaining their natural character set aside for scientific research. [Article 4 divides Socotra into Resource Use Reserve (marine area ~16,498 km2), National Parks (marine ~1,514 km2) and Nature Sanctuary (marine ~154 km2); Article 5 fixes the marine protected-area boundaries by attached Map No. 2.]

Every citizen or any person is prohibited from hunting with firearms or any other means without permit from the responsible authorities; or cause any harm to the environment in the areas determined by this law according to the attached maps. [The 'responsible authority' is defined in Article 2 as the ministries/departments/public institutions and the Environment Protection Council; the decree's protected areas include the marine National Parks and marine Nature Sanctuaries. No provision specifically names spearfishing, but spearfishing in these marine protected areas would engage this general prohibition on taking wildlife 'by any other means' without a permit and on causing environmental harm.]

The Conservation Zoning Plan for the Socotra archipelago endorsed by Presidential Decree 275 which established the National Park and Nature Sanctuaries [...]. The marine nature sanctuaries included in the property encompass the most important elements of marine biodiversity. [...] There were marine protected areas with restrictions on fishing gear and seasons [...]. There is pressure on artisanal fishing from larger boats and international fishing fleets. Fishing with bottom nets and dynamite are being resorted to, and customary regulations no longer control the fishery as they once did.