Hodeidah — Eritrean authorities have released 53 Yemeni fishermen who had been detained for several days while fishing near the Red Sea, according to local officials in Yemen’s western province of Hodeidah. 

The release followed diplomatic mediation efforts, reportedly involving Emirati intermediaries, and was part of a detainee exchange agreement.

The fishermen were apprehended by Eritrean coast guards near Hunaish Island, an area frequently contested due to overlapping maritime claims. In return, Yemeni authorities released seven Eritrean soldiers who had been captured during a recent patrol operation in the same region.

Upon their arrival at the fish landing center in Al Khawkhah district, the fishermen recounted harsh detention conditions, including beatings and the confiscation of their boats and equipment. Many returned home with only the clothes they were wearing, and none of their property was recovered.

This incident adds to a growing list of maritime disputes in the Red Sea, where Yemeni coastal communities—already strained by conflict and economic hardship—rely heavily on fishing for survival.