FISHERMEN demonstrated for the second day running yesterday – increasing pressure on the government to find a solution to their plight.

The demonstrations coincide with a nationwide strike, which now looks set to continue indefinitely.

More than 200 fishermen gathered in a show of solidarity at a jetty in Sitra yesterday, after they agreed with Fishermen’s Protection Society to continue the strike until their demands are met.

The society is spearheading the action in collaboration with Bahraini Fishermen Trade Union and local fish importers.

More than 1,700 licensed fishermen are taking part and have handed their licences over to the Fisheries Directorate, saying they can be returned once their demands are met.

The demands include compensation for loss of earnings, which they blame on land reclamation dramatically reducing fish stocks.

They also want authorities to exempt them from paying a BD10 monthly fee imposed by Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) last July for each expat they employ.

Yesterday’s protest came a day after society officials met the Municipalities and Agriculture Minister, who reportedly asked them to return to work and pledged to pass on their demands to Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

The officials replied that they wanted formal confirmation that their demands would be met before they called off the strike.

“They (fishermen) want official confirmation – they want to meet one of the country’s leaders to comfort them and tell them that their demands will be met,” said society president Jasim Al Jeran.

“We visited the Sitra Central Fish Market today and it was completely empty and lifeless. The strike is still on and fishermen are standing their ground.”

Yesterday’s demonstration was the sixth organised by the society and took place a day after a similar protest in Muharraq.