Al Jazeera Net correspondents
photo The ongoing war in southern Lebanon cast a shadow on the fishing sector in the city, which led to its paralysis and the fishermen inflicting heavy losses that increased daily with the continuation of the aggression. They found themselves caught up in the Israeli attacks on the one hand and the Lebanese living crisis on the other.
Between 350 and 400 fishermen in the city of Tire, distributed among about 180 fishing boats, face increasing daily dangers from Israeli gunboats, as the sea distance extending between Zahrani and Naqoura, which is about 31 miles (57.4 kilometers), is no longer safe for them. The livelihood of these fishermen has become fraught with danger.
The head of the Tyre Fishermen’s Syndicate, Sami Rizk, told Al Jazeera Net: “Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression against southern Lebanon, the work of fishermen has declined greatly because we work in the south of the city of Tyre, towards Naqoura, where fish are plentiful, and when the situation is tense and tense, fishermen cannot go towards the border.” Southern Navy for work.
The effect of aggression
Rizk adds: “We are also suffering from the impact of the aggression on fish, as demand for it from restaurants and other tourist facilities has decreased due to the lack of visitors. The tourist season is not good currently, and we are in a state of war, and all sectors are affected by each other.”
Rizk did not hide that, “The third problem is related to technology, as most of the fishermen’s work depends on GPS positioning systems. We set our nets, but when the system does not work properly due to Israeli interference, the fishermen suffer losses and do not reach their goals.” .
Inside the port of Tire, fishermen are busy repairing nets and maintaining the boats that are docked, waiting for a new fishing trip. The fishing sector is no longer what it was before, as it declines year after year, but the current Israeli war has burdened fishermen and limited their ability to earn a living.
Sector deterioration
Fisherman Amer Al-Zouz, who spent 30 years in the fishing profession, complains of a significant decline in the fishing sector in general, and the war has increased the deterioration of this sector. He told Al Jazeera Net: “I start working from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. just repairing nets. I no longer fish with my boat every day, and all we earn ranges between 600 to 700 thousand Lebanese pounds (7 to 8 dollars) per day. “It is not enough for anything.”
Al-Zouz adds: “Previously, we used GPS to precisely determine where to place the nets, so we would place 10 nets and focus on them to catch fish. But today, with its malfunction, and if we fish, we are forced to place 70 pieces instead of 15, which constitutes A big loss for us.”
The condition of fisherman Ali Taha is no better than his colleagues, and he says with dismay to Al Jazeera Net: “We are sailors from Tyre, and we inherited the profession from our ancestors. I go to the port every day to seek a living, and I earn between 500 thousand and one million Lebanese pounds, the equivalent of about a kilogram of fish. the meat”.
He points out: “Currently, I am taking a risk and going south to the Bayada and Naqoura areas, where Israeli bombing is sometimes above our heads, while the sounds of raids are clearly heard… If the situation continues like this, it will be sad for us to go out on fishing trips, because it constitutes a loss and a danger.” At the same time”.
The fisherman, Muhammad Abu Al-Enein, is busy repairing his boat’s engine, which is no longer working as efficiently as it was before. He describes his fishing trip to Al-Jazeera Net and says: “We begin our journey at three in the morning. We are currently heading north, towards Al-Qasimiya and Adloun, all the way to Al-Sarfand and Al-Zahrani. We are no longer there.” “We are heading south because of the dangers.”
He adds: “We work as much as we can, but not with the same peace of mind as was the case before with fishing. We strive to secure our daily livelihood and cover our families’ necessary expenses, such as education and living costs, in light of the stifling Lebanese crisis.”
On the other side of the port of Tire, tourist boat owners are busy maintaining and renovating their boats designated for sea trips off the city of Tire or towards the south towards Naqoura, hoping that the war will end soon and the trips they are waiting for during the tourist season will resume.
A tourist boat owner, George Daoud, told Al Jazeera Net: “Navigation was affected by approximately 80%. On days like these, we used to take boat tours for school students and tourists, but all of this stopped today. We were greatly affected by the war on the border.” “.
