Gaza fisherman: More adventures but less catch
Palestine, Local, 10/13/1999

The fishermen watched the houses disappearing gradually as they sailed away from the Gaza shore on their routine sailing trip every noon in preparation for their long-waited-for big catch in the sea. It was around one in the afternoon. The weather, as usual in this time of the year, was hot and humid. One fisherman volunteered to serve tea. Others were busy preparing their nets while the boss, as they call him, stood watching the boat edge as it opens its way through the sea waves.

"Sea is my life," said Hussein, a 47-year old fisherman whose love story with the sea, he said, has so far lasted for over thirty years. "Sometimes I even prefer to spend a day or two on the boat deep in the sea and away from the shore, not necessarily looking for fish as much as trying to keep away from the headache of daily life over there on the ground," he said.

Hussein "blames" the Israelis for making him become a fisherman. "When the Israeli army occupied the Gaza Strip in the June 1967 war, my father was a fisherman," he said. "Life became very difficult, and my father had to work very hard to earn his living. So he thought that he would better teach me to become a fisherman myself so I could help him. I was only 17 when I first joined him on the boat."

Though many years have passed since then, Hussein said he has not forgotten the first day he took to the sea with his father. "I had a terrible headache. I felt seasick and almost threw up. But the next day, nothing happened and it felt like I was born on the boat." "Sea is like drugs. Once you are addicted to it, you find it hard to quit. However, I am not prepared to urge my children to become fishermen. It is a nice adventure, yet a lousy business and does not pay well."

Winds and sea storms are the most frightening for Hussein. "Once a storm hits us, I feel this is it. We are not going to make our way back to shore. But sometimes more frightening is the Israeli naval forces that sometimes open heavy fire in our direction to terrorize us." "The sea is just like a huge monster," said Hussein, "if he beats you, you are finished. Therefore you always need to be stronger than the sea and beat it to earn your living and to return to your family safe and sound."

One day many years ago, said Hussein, he sailed deep into the sea until an Israeli coast guard vessel chased him and his colleagues. He said he sailed closer to the Egyptian territorial waters, but an Egyptian boat opened fire at them. "We sailed back to Gaza and an Israeli helicopter hovered above our heads until we reached. Israeli troops were waiting for us on the shore. They arrested us for a few days, confiscated our boat for six years and took some of our equipment. Hussein said that until today, he has not retrieved his equipment though the Israeli authorities promised him a number of times to release it.

Hussein said that sailing close to the Egyptian waters was not a question of choice but a matter of must because of the very limited area allowed to Gaza fishermen off the Gaza shore. The limit is only 40 kilometers deep into the sea from a point north of Gaza until Khan Younis. Any boat that sails beyond those limits would immediately become a target for Israeli coast guards who usually open fire in their direction.

Sidqi Younis, 48, was on the same boat. He said he started his adventures in the sea when he was still 12 years old. He said he never had a boat of his own but worked with others who owned boats and went out with them for fishing. Today he and his son work in fishing. Sidqi said that due to his health problems, he could not work in Israel and found that the only thing he could do was to go out fishing.

After sailing some 25 kilometers deep into the sea, Samir Amoudi, the boss and owner of the boat, said that in a few minutes they should get to a rocky area opposite Gaza where they can find plenty of fish. He was so sure of himself and was describing the area as if he was reading from a book in front of him. It looked as if it was that magic bond between him and the sea that made him learn his route by heart. But as a matter of fact, he saw in the far horizon a bunch of empty boats floating, and that was his signal. Explained Samir: "We leave a number of boats empty in the area, tie them together and we return the following day, we turn on the lights and the fish start to gather around."

It was time for lunch break. All fishermen took out the food they brought from home. They finished their meal and went for a deep sleep. Their real action would start shortly before midnight. Therefore, they felt they could still spare a couple of hours for a nice and quiet sleep.

"We usually look for locations where the storm is quiet and easy," said Mohammed Zidan, another fisherman in the group who could not shut his eye, even for a moment. He looked distracted somehow because his son was at the hospital. From time to time, he took a cellular phone from one of the fisherman and called home to receive updates on his son's condition. Once they all woke up and were ready for action, they dropped their nets deep into the sea and waited. Every net they pulled out brought more fish to them and made them cheer in joy. All went fine and the catch of the night was satisfying for all of them.

Fishing seasons in Gaza are basically twice a year. One in the months of April and May and the second in the months of October and November. Throughout the rest of the year, fishermen still go to the sea, but their catch is within the minimum and not of commercial quantity.

When the fishermen finally returned to the shore, it was already seven in the morning. A bit less than 24 hours they spent in the sea to return with the harvest of that day. People from various parts of the city of Gaza were waiting for them on the shore. Some, related to their families, wanted to help unload the fish from the boats. Others were simply waiting for the fish to arrive. They were the ones who found out through the years that good and fresh fish can always be available early in the morning upon the return of fishermen from their night adventure.

Fishermen in Gaza usually have very little to blame on the Palestinian National Authority. They admit that the full authority in the sea is that of Israel and its navy. The control of the Israelis is harmful for their business, but they know that apart from protesting from time to time, they have nothing else to do. Some of the fishermen argue that the Palestinian naval force in the Gaza Strip is more of a symbolic one than being an operational army. It is only when the PNA and Israel finalize their final status talks and reach an agreement that those fishermen, they hope, will be able to practice their job without any further Israeli military harassment. Until then, as Samir explained, Palestinian fishermen in Gaza will have to fight their way to a decent means for earning their living and catching their fish.

Previous Stories:
  Palestinian Christians distance themselves from pro-Israel cults   (9/28/1999)
  Palestinian companies take part in Las Vegas clothing fair to expand exports   (8/20/1999)
  Oasis Casino: gambling succeeds where peace fails   (9/23/1998)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search