People and Culture

Population

The population of the islands is estimated at 44,000 (source: MOPD-EU Socotra Development Masterplan), mostly living on Socotra, and concentrated in the capital Hadibu and of the eastern town of Qalansya. Main economic activities on which the population of Socotra relies upon are livestock, fishing, date palm plantations, primitive household gardens, with some minor forms of primarily opportunistic trade.

As in the rest of Yemen, Arabic is the official language on Socotra, being taught in schools and spoken in all external affairs, including Government administration. However the people of Socotra speak a language which is quite different from Modern Arabic. The Socotri is an ancient unwritten language, of pre-Islamic origin, related to the Mahri language spoken in the Mahra region of Southern Arabia. In the coastal areas, most literate people are completely bilingual, but in rural areas and among women and children, Arabic is rarely used and often not well understood.

Sources of Livelihood

The main part of the Socotri population living in the rural areas are semi-nomadic pastoralists, living from goats, sheep, cattle, camel breeding and date palm cultivation. Along the coasts fishing from small boats is the main source of income. In the major villages a considerable number of people are employed in government jobs or are involved in small scale trade, building and manufacturing for local demands. Except for modest gardening, agriculture is unknown. Therefore food consists mainly of local fish, meat, milk and dates, supplemented by imported rice and flower. Only a few people occasionally eat locally grown vegetables and fruits. Imported food products are not affordable for the vast majority of population.

On the coastal areas, and in the vicinities of Hadibou and surrounding villages lives a minority of people of African descent, of whom many are engaged in fishing. There continues to be a small but steady influx of people from mainland Yemen. Socotra is much poorer and less developed than the mainland of Yemen. No industry or large-scale manufacturing exists. Except for fish, very little is being exported from the island. Therefore Socotra heavily depends on outside support, which mainly comes from the Yemeni Government and some development programs of NGO's and international organisations. An estimated number of 8'000 Socotri live and work in the Emirates, probably contributing considerably to the income of related families on the island.

Due to the insufficient provision of basic human needs, such as access to sustainable livelihoods, safe water, health services, education etc., a majority of the population of Socotra Archipelago are considered to live below the absolute poverty line.

Wood Harvesting
Socotra dwellers rely, to a great extent, on trees whose wood is used for heating, cooking and as construction material. Dead and live timber is widely used for building, roofing and fencing. As the supply of dead wood is no longer sufficient to meet growing demands, live trees are now being increasingly cut, thus posing a serious threat to the survival of important species (i.e. Maerua Angolensis and Metaporana obtusa). Wood is also burned for the manufacturing of lime, which is used in traditional buildings. In addition, herders burn certain woody species i.e. Cephalocroton Socotranus (Ta'an) for their scented smoke, and use it as livestock smudge.

Non-Timber Products
The highland forest trees have always provided the islanders with useful resins, gums, tannins, dyes, medicines, juices, scented woods, such as the famous cinnabar, and some of the above materials are still traded outside Socotra in the present times. Certain non-wood products (i.e. fruits, roots) are collected by the Islanders and are used as valuable nutritional supplement. E.g. fruits of Cordia Obovata and Ziziphus spina-christi are edible and appreciated by the population.

Fisheries
The coastal population of Socotra is almost entirely dependent upon fishing as the principal source of livelihood. Along the Socotran coasts, the majority of working males are fishermen. The main stocks targeted are shark, king fish and tuna, which are salted or dried and sold on the mainland. Reef fish and lobsters represent also an important source of income, and are mostly sold to visiting fishing vessels from neighboring countries.

At present, commercial traders can command any price, quantity and type of catch from fishing villages, and thus control the local market and level of exploitation. Storage facilities would help local fishermen build their supply and command higher prices. Small-scale ice-plants are currently being developed in the vicinity of Hadibu.

The Role of Local People in Nature Conservation

Due to the limited contacts with the outside world, the local population had to be virtually self-sufficient for all primary needs throughout their history. Socotri people have therefore developed strong traditional rules to protect the marine and terrestrial natural resources they rely upon. Such traditional rules are still to some extent enforced by the local village councils. Examples include, i.e.: ban on cutting of live trees unless with the agreement of the village council and for valid reasons; establishment of marine sanctuaries where no net fishing is allowed; and monthly "rest" period for all fishing grounds.

The isolation of the archipelago was therefore an important reason behind the survival of the fragile ecological balance between people's needs and natural resources until present times. Biodiversity conservation efforts of the Government of Yemen and the international community have thus found an extremely "fertile ground" on the island. The local people have warmly welcomed any assistance aimed at preserving the integrity of the natural resources they rely upon, their traditions and their biodiversity, while bringing an improvement to their living conditions.