Somalia - Fishing

Approximately 1% of the population is engaged full-time in fishing. Fish-processing plants produced fish flour, inedible oil, and semirefined edible oil. In 1985, fish—tuna, sardines, mackerel, and lobster—and fish products accounted for 10.7% of exports. The catch in 2000 was 20,200 tons. Fisheries exports have declined from about $14.8 million in 1990 to $2.5 million in 2000. In 1993, the yearly potential catch was estimated at 200,000 tons, which could bring in an estimated $26 million in revenue each year. One of the government's aims has been to establish fishing cooperatives; in 1975, thousands of nomads from the drought-affected area were resettled in fishing villages.