By MOHAMMED AL A’ALI

MANAMA

FISH could virtually disappear from Bahrain’s markets from Sunday when fishermen plan to go on an indefinite nationwide strike. It will be spearheaded by the Bahrain Fishermen Society in collaboration with the Bahraini Fishermen Trade Union and local fish importers.

The strike follows a string of demonstrations organised by the society at its premises in Muharraq over the past few months.

The fishermen want authorities to scrap the BD200 biennial and the BD10 monthly fees imposed by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA).

They are also calling for compensation over land reclamation they claim has affected their livelihoods as well as the revision of all future reclamation policies.

More than 1,000 fishermen from around the country will stay in port and fish markets across the country will shut down until the demands are met.

The move received the backing of parliament’s public utilities and environment affairs committee, which is now planning to arrange meetings between the fishermen and the country’s leadership.

“MPs will be present at any place where fishermen would like to gather during their strike until their demands are fulfilled,” committee chairman Jawad Fairooz told a Press conference in parliament yesterday.

“The fishermen’s status needs a political decision, considering that parliament has reached a point where its demands to help develop the fishing industry has been neglected by the government.

“We presented the government with nine proposals, but we haven’t heard any news about them yet and whether they were approved or rejected.”

Mr Fairooz said that parliament was planning to vote on a new proposal for the setting up of a government compensation fund to help support fishermen.

“The fund will be financed by taxes taken from all of those who have harmed the marine environment, whether government organisations or private investors,” he said.

“This fund is the only way to ensure that fishermen’s livelihood, which is nearing extinction, is somehow protected.”

Committee vice-chairman Hassan Al Dossary said the fishermen were already fishing in less than 25pc of the area they used to.

“We lost 13 fishing grounds to Qatar when we got Hawar and they got Al Zubara, and later we lost more through reclamation for various projects,” he said.

Society honorary president Waheed Al Dossary claimed the Economic Development Board did not ask for their opinion before coming up with Vision 2030.

“We are the most affected sector, considering that reclamation was out at sea, our only source of income,” he said.

“The society has met Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who has promised that our demands will be fulfilled and ordered those concerned to start work to implement them, but they never did so – seven months later.

“Even Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs Minister Dr Juma Al Ka’abi, who is in charge of the Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife, has promised to do something, but we haven’t seen anything yet.”

Society president Jassim Al Jeran said their livelihood was also being threatened, but the government has been neglecting their pleas.

“We have no other place to go to other than the remaining 25pc of the sea and the moment our fishermen step into other territorial waters in GCC countries, they are arrested.

“Even those who import fish from other GCC countries can’t help meet the market demand.”

He said that fish was the only staple food that the government didn’t subsidise.

“Meat and chicken are subsidised and those who sell them are being given financial support from the government to meet their losses. We don’t get the same treatment and this is why fish prices are rising day by day.”

Mr Al Jeran said that the strike would not end until all demands were fulfilled by the leadership.

“There are three main demands – compensate us for reclaiming our fishing areas, exempt us from LMRA fees and revise future reclamation plans.

“As long as our conditions don’t improve, people will be deprived of something they love to eat, and we are sorry for taking this decision, but it is our last resort to get our demands fulfilled.”

Union president Hussain Al Moghni, who is currently in Karbala, Iraq, said the union was in support of the society’s plans.

“All fishermen and fish importers are working together to achieve one goal and that’s better conditions for fishermen,” he said.

Commission fisheries director Jassim Al Qaseer said that if all fishermen went on strike, then it would be a “100 per cent empty market.