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Fishermen in Bahrain have called for alternative solutions to seasonal bans on safi, sheri and andaq in April and May, stating that it affected their livelihood not just during the ban period, but also after it.
Professional Fishermen Society secretary Fayez Al Arees said that the fish tend to move away to new waters after the period of the ban, which means there are fewer fish available for the people of Bahrain.
According to the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), the annual ban, which ran from April 1 to May 31, was aimed at protecting marine resources and promote their sustainability.
“The ban is impractical,” Mr Al Arees told the GDN.
“There are several interconnected fishing grounds around the Arabian Gulf and the fish move from one to the other.
“They do not remain stationary, even if the ban is for spawning purposes, water currents move the eggs from one part to another, meaning they tend to hatch around the Gulf.
“If not caught, species like safi and sheri especially migrate elsewhere as they do not stay in one place for a long time.
“Thus, availability fluctuates mildly each year, and in June especially, there tends to be fewer fish as they move away.”
Mr Al Arees
Mr Al Arees believes that any regulatory action should be based on scientific evidence to justify measures taken, rather than just blindly implementing an annual ban.
He argues that it is important to determine whether a ban is actually needed that year or not, and if so, which fish needs to be included in it.
He suggested that if there are sufficient spawning adults to sustain the population of a species of fish, then the ban will be ineffective, and should only be applied if there is evidence of early depletion of juvenile stocks.
“The spawning season coincides with what is a critical period for catching safi and sheri,” said Mr Al Arees.
“Imposing a ban during this period results in financial losses for fishermen as the fish migrate elsewhere when the ban is lifted. This negatively affects the market and consumers.
“In our region, the spawning period is usually long enough to ensure a sufficient supply of fish.”
Mr Al Arees recommended some alternatives to the annual fishing ban to protect the country’s marine resources.
“The focus should instead shift towards protecting juveniles until they reach larger sizes,” he said.
“I recommend increased monitoring of fish sizes at ports and markets and working on raising awareness among fishermen.
“Additionally, we could enforce strict controls on unregulated and illegal fishing, especially against unlicensed commercial operations, to protect fish stocks and prevent overexploitation.
“If the goal is to enhance the presence of native and semi-native fish species, we could develop new habitats to serve as nurseries, limit land reclamation, or even deploy artificial reefs.”
The GDN reported in March that fishermen urged authorities to modify the annual seasonal ban, by restricting fishing to a certain level rather than imposing a complete ban, to ensure the sustainability of the fish species as well as allow fishermen to do their jobs.
The society uploaded a video on their social media platforms showing one of the local fish markets almost completely empty of both traders and customers.
One fisherman said in the video that nobody was buying nor selling anything, and he was afraid of not being able to make ends meet.
Later that week, MPs unanimously approved an urgent proposal to provide financial compensation to fishermen hit by the ban.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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