Marine experts have called for tougher punishment against illegal fishing as Bahrain’s fish stocks continue to be depleted.
They say the country’s territorial waters could not sustain overfishing and that the number of fishermen should be halved.
Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) chief executive Dr Adel Al Zayani told the GDN there should be an increase in supervision laws and harsher penalties for fishermen who break guidelines.
“We need to tighten supervision and increase the punishment for those who do not adhere to the guidelines and the law,” he said.
“Some of the fishermen have a good relationship with their jobs and the land, and they do their jobs very well.
“But then there are others who do this job that don’t care about the job or the land.
“Most of those who are violating this law are not Bahrainis.”
Bahrain has been trying to replenish its diminishing fish stocks by establishing artificial reefs.
It has spent more than BD1 million planting 2,500 structures on the sea bed as part of the first stage last year.
The new fish farms also aim to reduce the need for imports.
The GDN reported in December 2011 that Bahrain produces 6,000 tonnes of fish per year, but consumption stands at 15,000 tonnes – meaning 9,000 tonnes are being imported annually.
However, Marina Club marina manager and diving expert Robert Jones told the GDN he had seen fishermen even “raid the artificial reefs”.
“The fishermen now put nylon nets down either side of the artificial reef and they drive backwards and forwards on the surface to frighten the fish,” he said.
“The fish swim out of the reefs and into the nets.
“The nets are dragged up and put on the boat and they disappear before the Coastguard see them.
“What then is the point of having artificial reefs?”
He added that the coral reefs have been “annihilated”, mostly by fishermen.
“They’re catching tiny fish off the reefs, whereas they used to catch really large ones,” he said.
Fishermen Protection Society president Jassim Al Jeran admitted fishermen catch where the artificial reefs are placed, but said there were no restrictions placed by authorities.
“If fishermen don’t catch either here or there, where should we catch?” he asked.
“We have to catch somewhere, and this is where the fish congregate. There are large areas from Zallaq heading north that are empty.
“We have to go where the fish is gathered.”
He encouraged setting up a restricted wildlife reserve which fishermen could not access in order to boost stocks.
Solution
“We have 450 fishermen using the banoosh (dhows) and 1,500 on the motor-powered boats,” he said.
“The number needs to decrease by half.
“Bahrain’s territorial waters cannot bear this number.”
He also said that since the law on illegal nets was rarely enforced, there were a number of fishermen who took advantage of it.
Officials from the Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources were unavailable for comment.
2013 Gulf Daily news