Life as a fisherman in Yemen has become near-impossible since the outbreak of war six years ago.
Setting out onto the waters can be hazardous while warring parties are on edge, and many of Yemen’s seas are restricted areas, cutting off thousands of Yemenis’ source of livelihood.
In southern Aden province, restrictions are looser, drawing displaced fishermen from more dangerous coasts like Hodeidah. But work is scarce, as are equipment and boats, and more often than not Yemenis who once had their own vessels now join larger fishing parties and must share the spoils with several others – as well as the costs.
But one day in February, a group of fishermen from the village of al-Khaisah, including some displaced from Hodeidah, hit the seas for what would prove to be a most profitable voyage, one that would transform their lives.
They came across a giant sperm whale corpse, which contained a mammoth chunk of ambergris, a rare substance known as “floating gold” or “treasure of the sea”.
“When the fishermen passed by a large dead fish, a fisherman displaced from Hodeidah shouted to other colleagues, as he recognised it as a sperm whale,” Abdulrahman*, one of the fishermen who retrieved the whale, told Middle East Eye.
“Hodeidah’s fishermen have experience in recognising sperm whales from others. We had passed by that same dead fish more than once, and we didn’t give it any attention as the sea is full of dead fish. But the displaced fisherman’s experience made the difference.”
Ambergris is a solid mass of material consumed by sperm whales that grows in its intestines over several years. Sometimes known as “whale vomit”, it is thought to occasionally be regurgitated but more often passed through the digestive system.
Though not particularly pleasant, the curious substance is incredibly valuable: an oil is extracted from ambergris to make perfume last longer and is used for only the most expensive odours.
Abdulrahman had never found ambergris in all his years fishing. He said maybe he’d passed by some floating in the water, but never recognised it, as he was only on the lookout for fish to catch.
“The displaced fisherman was in a boat with other fishermen, and more were in another boat nearby, but they couldn’t bring the dead whale to the coast alone,” Abdulrahman recalls.
“So they asked nine boats to help them and they brought the dead whale to a beach off Aden’s Shamsan Mountain,” he added.
By noon that day, the fishermen began slicing open the whale’s carcass. They found blubber, guts and bone, but the precious ambergris was nowhere to be seen. Until there it was: life-changing wealth.
“More than 100 fishermen participated in bringing the whale to the coast, cutting it open and then guarding the ambergris and selling it,” Abdulrahman said.
To avoid any disputes, the fishermen agreed on a percentage for each man before selling the ambergris. They then sold it for 1.3bn Yemeni rials, which is worth about $1.5 million on the street.
The ambergris weighed in at 127kg and the fishermen sold it to a trader from the United Arab of Emirates, Abdulrahman acting as the broker.
“Every family in al-Khaisah was filled with happiness, because all of them got some money from the sale of the ambergris,” Abdulrahman said. “Some fishermen got 30 million, some others less or more, and even the guards got 250,000 rials each. Each person got money based on his role.”
At such a tough period of Yemen’s history, where two-thirds of the country’s 30 million population are reliant on humanitarian aid, and at least 230,000 people have been killed in the conflict, good news is a rarity.
But the ambergris discovery will transform the lives of the people of al-Khaisah, a village of around 1,000 families in the al-Buraiqa district south of Aden city.
Saeed Morie, a displaced fisherman from Hodeidah, was stunned when he heard about the ambergris, and is overjoyed that some of his colleagues have found wealth and a route out of the suffering that so many Yemenis live under.
The expertise that Hodeidah’s fishermen have in identifying sperm whales is now legendary – and those from Aden’s coast now hope to follow suit. Morie said the ambergris can either be found in a dead whale’s stomach, or it vomits it before dying, and he will be on the lookout next time.
Middle East Eye 2021 – all rights reserved.