Fishermen paid for port blockade

Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on October 12 outlined details of payments to fishermen who suffered financial losses due to Israel's naval blockade of southern ports.

Hariri was responding to a question filed to the cabinet by the head of parliament's foreign affairs committee, Tire MP Ali Khalil, on the blockade and compensation promised by the government. The higher relief committee paid in March 1995 235.8 million Lebanese Lira to 1,157 fishermen affected by the blockade, which was imposed in February 1995, Hariri said.

The UN development program and the Food and Agriculture Organization paid at the same time 110,000 US dollars to 1,612 fishermen whose boats and nets were damaged by Israeli naval attacks between April and August 1995--300,000 Lebanese Lira a month to each fishermen," he said without disclosing the number of beneficiaries. "The monthly aid stopped after the blockade was lifted in August 1995, " he added.