Gazan Fishermen Dying to Survive

• by Mel Frykberg (gaza city)
• Friday, February 27, 2015
• Inter Press Service

However, this scenic and peaceful setting belies a depressing reality. Gaza's once thriving fishing industry has been decimated by Israel's blockade of the coastal territory since 2007.

Approximately 3,600 Gazan fishermen, and their dependents, estimated at over 30,000 people, used to rely on fishing for a living.

Fish also provided a basic source of food for Gaza's poverty-stricken population of over 1.5 million people.3

Following the blockade of the Gaza Strip, more than 90 percent of Gaza's fishermen have had to depend on aid to survive.

Mustafa Jarboua, 55, the father of 10 children from Shati refugee camp, sits on the beach near his boat mending his nets. He has been a fisherman for 17 years and has witnessed the fishing industry's decline since Israel first started placing restrictions on the fishermen in the early 2000s, culminating in the 2007 blockade.

"Before the blockade I used to earn about NIS 2000-3000 per month (500-750 dollars)," he told IPS.

"Now I'm lucky if I can earn NIS 500-600 (126 -152 dollars) a month because we can only fish a few days each week depending on when there are sufficient fish.

"The shoals closer to shore have been depleted with most of the better quality fish at least nine miles out to sea. I have to rely on money from the Ministry of Social Affairs to survive.

"I can't afford meat and have to buy second-hand clothes for my children. Buying treats on holidays is no longer possible," said Jarboua.

According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), "in the late 1990s, annual catches from the Gaza Strip's four fishing wharves located in Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir Al Balah and Gaza City averaged more than 3,500 tonnes and generated an annual income of over 10 million dollars."

The already dire situation was exacerbated during last year's July-August war with Israel, reducing the area in which the fishermen can fish to six nautical miles. After the Oslo agreement in 1993, the distance had been 20 nautical miles.

However, fishermen are still being shot at and killed and injured even within that 6-mile nautical zone.

Jarboua pointed to his boat and showed IPS the bullet holes where the Israeli navy had fired on him while out to sea.

Others fishermen have had their boats destroyed and been arrested, Jarboua's friend Fathi Said, also from Shati camp, told IPS that his brother had been arrested by the Israelis several weeks ago while only five nautical miles out to sea.

Sami Al Quka, 35, from Shati had his hand blown off when the Israeli navy shot at him while he was within the approved fishing zone.

Brother Ibrahim Al Quka, 55, said he used to earn about 50-100 dollars a day before Israel's blockade.

"Now on a good day I only earn about 30 dollars and then I can buy food for my family for a few days. After that I have to rely on the United Nations to survive," Al Quka told IPS.

Oxfam GB confirms the fishermen's claims: "Even when fishing within the six mile restriction, fishermen face being shot or arrested by the Israeli navy. In the first half of 2014, there were at least 177 incidents of naval fire against fishermen – nearly as many as in all of 2013."

OCHA reported in its weekly Humanitarian Report in mid-February that "incidents involving Israeli forces opening fire into the Access Restricted Areas (ARAs) on land and at sea continued on a daily basis, with at least 17 such incidents reported during the week."

"In at least two incidents," said the report, "Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats reportedly sailing within the Israeli-declared six nautical mile fishing limit, forcing them ashore.

"Access restrictions imposed by Israel at land and sea continue to undermine the security of Palestinians and the agricultural sector in Gaza, which is the primary source of income for thousands of farmers and fishermen and their families."

Gaza's farmers are also unable to access their land near the borders with Israel which is imposing "security zones" of up to 1.5 km in some of Gaza's most fertile land. Dozens of farmers have been shot and killed or injured after trying to reach their farms.

The Gaza Strip's dense population is crammed into an area 6-12 km wide by 41 km in length.

Gaza's struggling economy has been further battered by Israel's almost complete ban on exports, including manufactured goods and agricultural products which formed a major part of its economy, and imports.

"Severe trade restrictions on both imports and exports have stifled the private sector, forcing several thousands of businesses to close in the past few years," according to the ‘GAZA Detailed Needs Assessment (DNA) and Recovery Framework: Social Protection Sub-Sector‘ report produced by the Palestinian Government, European Union, World Bank and the United Nations.

"Since the economic blockade (which Egypt has now joined) was put in place in 2007, exports from Gaza have dropped by 97 per cent," added the report. "Even companies that are still operating can only produce at high risk and with limited profit, due to elevated production costs, widespread power cuts and the almost complete ban on exports."

"The basic needs of Gazans are not being met," Arwa Mhanna from Oxfam told IPS. "Poverty is deepening, vital services have been affected and livelihoods crippled. The situation is moving towards more violence and further humanitarian tragedy."

Edited by Phil Harris   

© Inter Press Service (2015) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service

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