Houthi naval mines: Yemeni fishermen also pay the price

For years, the waters of the Red Sea were an economic lifeline for thousands of Yemeni families. Today, those same waters have turned into a floating minefield. Houthi attacks not only threaten global supply chains; they strike at the very heart of the livelihoods of Yemen’s most vulnerable communities.

On a routine fishing trip off the coast of Al-Khokha in western Yemen, fisherman Abdullah spotted a strange metallic object with protruding horns floating atop the blue waves.

At first, he thought it was debris that had fallen from a commercial vessel. But his boatmate shouted that it was a naval mine.

Abdullah, who asked to be identified by his first name only, said: “My colleague told me that getting close meant death. The Houthis have planted hundreds of them. They make no distinction between a military ship and a rickety wooden fishing boat.”

A forgotten harvest of death

While global attention focuses on ballistic missiles targeting massive cargo vessels, fishermen’s associations in Hodeidah governorate are documenting a silent catastrophe: the deaths of hundreds of fishermen and the destruction of hundreds of their boats.

Yemeni human rights groups’ estimates indicate that the total number of fishermen killed or injured has exceeded 450 since the militia expanded its deployment of naval mines, in addition to the destruction of hundreds of boats—the sole capital of these families.

In 2025 alone, the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms documented the killing and injury of 147 civilians in Hodeidah, most of them fishermen.

In a tragic incident last October, three fishermen from the same family were killed when a mine exploded off Kamaran Island, leaving behind families without a breadwinner.

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Shrinking production and forced displacement

Mines have not only killed people; they have paralysed economic activity. Continuous explosions and the militarisation of the sea have forced fishermen to operate closer to shore—areas poor in fish stocks.

According to fisheries sector data, production fell by 50 per cent in 2024, triggering mass displacement among workers in this vital sector.

One fisherman, who declined to give his name, said that from 2014 until mid-last year fishermen faced a double threat: on one hand, fear of Houthi mines; on the other, fear of approaching international warships that might misinterpret their movements in an active war zone. This drastically reduced fishing areas from Bab al-Mandab in the south to Hajjah in the north.

An environmental disaster and a fragile food security situation

The repercussions of the attacks have gone beyond explosions to what amounts to environmental terrorism.

The sinking of vessels such as Ruby Mar, Magic Seas, and Eternity C—some carrying fertilisers and fuel—led to the leakage of toxic chemicals that destroyed large swathes of marine habitats. Fish stocks fled the affected areas, and this environmental degradation was felt directly on Yemeni dinner tables. Reduced catches have worsened food insecurity among fishermen’s families.

In a country that relies on imports for 90 percent of its grain needs, Yemen’s Ministry of Trade confirms that Houthi piracy over the past year has slowed the flow of imports, driving food prices to unprecedented levels in a country already suffering from one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

International aid routes have also been disrupted, with humanitarian organisations struggling over the past year to secure safe maritime corridors to deliver food and medicine.

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A dark horizon and the disappearance of floating cities

For residents of coastal areas—especially Bab al-Mandab—commercial ships were never just numbers in trade statistics; they were part of the daily visual identity of their lives.

Residents recall with sorrow how, at night, giant vessels once looked like moving cities, their lights glittering at sea, offering a sense of familiarity and a feeling that the world was passing before their eyes. Today, the waters appear empty, save for dilapidated fishing boats or grey naval vessels.

Ali Salman, a resident of Dhubab district near Bab al-Mandab—one of the world’s most important waterways—says: “They have even stolen the beauty of the view from us. The sea that once teemed with life has become silent and frightening.”

Political analysts argue that securing the flow of food supplies and defeating maritime terrorism is not merely an international strategic necessity; it is a cry for help from millions of Yemenis facing death—either from a mine at sea or from hunger on land.

Observers warn that a resurgence of Houthi attacks remains a real possibility at any moment, reviving the risks Yemenis have endured over the past years.

They believe that addressing this threat requires eliminating its sources by dismantling missile launch platforms and curbing the planting of naval mines—through the dismantling of the Iran-backed movement.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.