Tunisian coast guards arrested 16 Egyptian fishermen on Monday near the Tunisian coast for illegal fishing, the Tunisian ministry of defense announced on Tuesday, according to Reuters. In a statement issued on its official website, Tunisia's ministry of defense announced that the 16 fishermen were arrested on Monday on board an Egyptian fishing boat called "Abu Ashraf" while fishing illegally along the coast of the city of Zarzis, in southeastern Tunisia. The fishing boat, registered in the city of Port Said in Egypt, is currently docked at Zarzis port and its crew in the custody of Tunisian national guards in the city, according to the Tunisian statement. The fine of illegal fishing in Tunisian territorial waters is between USD 20,000 to 220,000. This not is the first incident involving Egyptian fishermen arrested in the territorial waters of neighboring countries like Sudan, Libya, and Tunisia. Egypt's ministry of foreign affairs typically intervenes in these cases and ensures the release of the fishermen. In August, Tunisia released 15 Egyptian fishermen who were arrested a month prior near Sfax port, also for territorial breach. That same month, Sudan released 101 Egyptian fishermen who were detained near Port Sudan for illegally trespassing on their way to Eritrean waters. The Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs has issued multiple warnings to fishermen regarding cross-border fishing. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/177218.aspx
