- Title: BAHRAIN: Fishermen struggle due to depleted stocks
- Date: 28th April 2014
- Summary: MUHARRAQ, BAHRAIN (APRIL 21) (REUTERS) AERIAL VIEW FROM MUHARRAQ PORT TOWARDS CAPITAL MANAMA ACROSS THE SEA NAIM, MANAMA (RECENT) (REUTERS) FISH MARKET BUILDING SIGN READING IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC: "FISH MARKET" FISH SHOP WITH SIGNBOARD READING IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC: "GULF FISH" VARIOUS OF FISH MARKET FISH SELLER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FISH SELLER, HUSSAIN ALI MURAD, SAYING: ''The market here isn't as good as it first was, because some of the roads are closed, and there are fish markets inside shopping malls. People say why should we come here when we can go to an airconditioned shop in the mall? A clean place instead of getting dirty here, or be in a smelly place. We'd rather go to a clean, airconditioned place and buy from there." MAN PUTTING FISH IN PLASTIC BAG VARIOUS OF BUYERS AT FISH MARKET SOUTH ASIAN EMPLOYEES CLEANING FISH EXPATRIATES PURCHASING FISH FISH ON DISPLAY AERIAL VIEW OF TRADITIONAL BOATS OR "DHOWS" USED FOR FISHING IN DEEP WATERS FISHERMEN PREPARING TO LEAVE MAN PULLING ROPE TO SECURE HIS BOAT FISHERMEN PUTTING ICE IN COOLANT BOX TRADITIONAL DHOW LEAVING MUHARRAQ (RECENT) (REUTERS) FISHERMAN SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FISHERMAN, JASSIM HAMAD, SAYING: "By god, here in shallow water you can't catch anything because the Bangladeshi fishermen (god bless them) have no fixed time and are working round the clock to catch fish and don't know of any law, nor do they know which is small fish or which is big fish. They are always on the go." SOUTH ASIAN FISHERMEN SETTING OFF FOR DEEP WATERS ON A DHOW DHOW PREPARING TO LEAVE FISHERMAN ON TRADITIONAL DHOW WITH HIS EMPLOYEE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FISHERMAN, MOHAMMED SHABIB NAEEMI, SAYING: "These people on small boats never stop and work 24 hours and remain in the sea, so how do you expect the fish to remain in Bahrain. We are forced to go to the deeper ocean on the outskirts, close to the borders of Iran, Emirates, but outside the border of Bahrain. Of course, we put our lives at risk on our boats -- for example, this boat here is worth more than 70 to 80,000 Bahraini dinars. Tomorrow the pirates may steal them." DHOW AT PORT FISHERMAN SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FISHERMAN, JASSIM HAMAD, SAYING: "It's reached a stage where this (fishing) needs to be regulated. We've reached this stage, just like with shrimps and crabs. It also takes time for the number of fish (in the sea) to increase, they grow and multiply over time, so that all the fishermen and sellers can benefit from this. Not like now when everyone goes fishing and catches fish as they please.'' DHOW AT PORT FISHERMAN ON BOAT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FISHERMAN, MOHAMMED SHABIB NAEEMI, SAYING: "So, of course of the government really want to regulate our seas, they should get rid of the shrimp sellers and ask them to leave. They should be given a fair compensation, and should leave. Because the Gulf countries, they gave them compensation, and these people left.'' SMALL FISHING TRAP ON BOAT BOAT ANCHOR WITH OTHER DHOW BOATS AT THE BACK VARIETY OF TRADITIONAL BOATS AT PORT DHOW ALONG WITH SMALL BOATS
- Embargoed: 13th May 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bahrain
- Country: Bahrain
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA93GKTB2VQ8GUNOHTHAHLH4KLE
- Story Text: RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT
Bahrain fishermen have long seen their businesses thrive, but many now say overfishing is becoming an increasing problem in the country's waters, resulting in dwindling fish supplies.
SHOWS:
SCRIPT: For years, Bahrainis have enjoyed their sea food brought in from the waters of the Persian Gulf. But now due to a host of factors, local fishermen in this archipelago say their livelihood is increasingly under threat.
At a local fish market in Naim on the outskirts of Manama, business is dull.
One fishseller said fish shops were increasingly moving to shopping malls rather than markets, which are preferred by most people.
''The market here isn't as good as it first was, because some of the roads are closed, and there are fish markets inside shopping malls. People say why should we come here when we can go to an airconditioned shop in the mall? A clean place instead of getting dirty here, or be in a smelly place. We'd rather go to a clean, airconditioned place and buy from there," said Hussain Ali Murad.
Fishing stocks in Bahraini waters have dwindled over the years, and many fishermen blame an influx of cheap labour from South Asia. Traditional fishermen who venture out into the sea in traditional dhow boats say the newcomers go out fishing daily in smaller boats, and fish 24-hours a day, thus depriving the immediate seas of stock.
"By god, here in shallow water you can't catch anything because the Bangladeshi fishermen (god bless them) have no fixed time and are working round the clock to catch fish and don't know of any law, nor do they know which is small fish or which is big fish. They are always on the go," said one fisherman, Jassim Hamad.
"These people on small boats never stop and work 24 hours and remain in the sea, so how do you expect the fish to remain in Bahrain," said another fisherman, Mohammed Shabib Naeemi.
Naeemi said declining stocks were forcing Bahraini fishermen to go further out to sea, putting them at greater risk of being caught outside Bahrain's borders or coming under attack.
"We are forced to go to the deeper ocean on the outskirts, close to the borders of Iran, Emirates, but outside the border of Bahrain. Of course, we put our lives at risk on our boats -- for example, this boat here is worth more than 70 to 80,000 Bahraini dinars (more than 185,6000 U.S. dollars). Tomorrow the pirates may steal them," he said.
Hamad said there was an urgent need to regulate fish catches.
"It also takes time for the number of fish (in the sea) to increase, they grow and multiply over time, so that all the fishermen and sellers can benefit from this. Not like now when everyone goes fishing and catches fish as they please," he said, adding that the practice of catching small fish was also compounding the problem.
Naeemi went so far as to say that the government must offer opportunities to foreign workers to leave.
"So, if the government really wants to regulate our seas, they should get rid of the shrimp sellers and ask them to leave. They should be given a fair compensation, and should leave. Because the Gulf countries, they gave them compensation, and these people left," he said, referring to those who fish in shallow waters.
Fishermen said going into deeper waters meant they now had to leave before dawn and return by sunset.
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