The Yemeni government has partnered with a company to remove 22 sunken ships from a fishing port in Aden, the country's interim capital.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Fisheries revealed that it has signed a contract with a local company to lift the sunken ships in the fishing port of Al-Ashtai in the district of Tawahi.
The company had won the tender in an auction announced by Yemen’s commercial court.
The ministry discussed with the company the arrangements for implementing the recovery of sunken ships in the port located in the Hajif region. They also reviewed the company's plan for carrying out the recovery process in the port basin.
The ministry emphasized the need to commence the work and introduce equipment for the recovery and removal of sunken ships from the port.
Adhering to the set timeline and ensuring that these operations do not interfere with the main navigation route is also vital, said the ministry.
It also emphasized the importance of complying with technical and environmental regulations during the process of removing the sunken ships, to prevent any pollution that could harm marine life.
Germany had previously stated its intention to fund the rehabilitation project of Aden Port, with the condition that the UN takes on the responsibility of executing the project, which is estimated to cost $20 million.
Additionally, the government has devised a preliminary plan to transform 12 derelict oil tankers near the Aden port into artificial fish habitats to prevent soil erosion.
The plan was developed by the Yemeni Ministry of Water and Environment.
According to the ministry, there are several ways to dispose of the dilapidated ships, including dismantling them and reusing their structures for purposes such as building breakwaters or bumpers on the beach.
The ships can also be reused in their original form as floating storage on the beach or recycled. Another method involves dumping the ships in the water to create artificial coral reef environments.
