Four fishermen have been arrested for allegedly violating the shrimping ban.
The men, identified only as Asians, were held by the Coastguard as they tried to collide with the maritime patrol and flee the scene.
Containers of shrimps caught using illegal and environmentally-damaging trawling nets were confiscated from their boat.
The six-month ban on fishing and trading in shrimps has been put in place to preserve fish stocks and protect the kingdom’s marine resources.
“The boat was spotted near the western area of Bahrain, and when the patrols asked them to stop for inspection, they tried to collide with the Coastguard’s vessels and escape,” said an Interior Ministry statement.
Officers, however, managed to stop the boat and arrest the men. The case will be referred to the Public Prosecution.
“The Coastguard asks seafarers to follow maritime patrols’ instructions when they are asked to stop for inspection,” the statement added.
“They should also adhere to fishing ban rules and avoid using prohibited fishing tools. Efforts are underway to crack down on illegal and unorganised fishing to protect the marine environment and wildlife.”
Last month, Coastguard patrols arrested three fishermen who were allegedly caught red-handed with 55kg of shrimps during the seasonal ban.
In the same month, a Bahraini defendant was sentenced to 15 days in prison, while three Indian nationals were sentenced to a month in jail, with one of them being fined BD100.
The expatriates will be deported once they complete their sentences. The fishermen’s boats were also confiscated.
Last year, from January to July, 820 maritime violations were registered by the Coastguard related to registration and licensing laws, catching small fish and shrimps, using floating fishing nets, and fishing in marine reserves, as reported in the GDN.
The Coastguard highlighted efforts to protect marine life in the regional waters and said 1,661kg of fish and shrimp, collected by fishermen in violation of rules, were confiscated last year.
In 2018, a trawling ban was introduced after it emerged that the country’s fish stocks had dropped by 90 per cent since 2004.
Trawling has one of the highest bycatch rates of all fishing techniques and often damages the sea floor, with nets, dragged along the sea bottom, scooping up everything in their path. Species caught include turtles and juvenile fish.
Top stories for today:
‘Largest gergaoun celebration’ set to get sweeter for children
US hopes for meaningful talks as Zelenskiy arrives in Saudi
New strategies urged to manage urgent ASD cases
&uuid=(email))