Gaza's fishermen face shrinking fishing grounds and repeated arrests by Israel

For fishermen in the Gaza Strip, the sea has become increasingly difficult and dangerous to access, as Israeli naval forces continue to restrict their movement, open fire on fishing boats, and arrest fishermen, according to local fishermen's representatives.

On Tuesday, Israeli naval forces arrested 10 fishermen off the coast of al-Zawayda in central Gaza and Sheikh Ajlin, southwest of Gaza City, according to the Union of Fishermen's Committees.

In a press statement, the union said Israeli forces opened fire on the fishermen's boats before taking the detainees to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Seven of the fishermen were later released, while three remained detained at an unknown location at the time of reporting, the union added.

"The arrest of these 10 fishermen adds to a series of daily violations, including killing, arrest, and the destruction of fishing boats and equipment, in addition to preventing fishermen from accessing the sea for more than three years," Zakaria Bakr, an official with the Fishermen's Committees, told The New Arab.

"The arrests were part of broader restrictions and violations affecting Gaza's fishing sector, including the destruction of boats and fishing equipment and restrictions on access to fishing areas," he said.

The number of Palestinian fishermen arrested by Israel since the Israeli genocidal war began on October 2023 had reached about 150, he explained.

Under constant fear

For fishermen who continue to venture into the sea, each trip has become a source of uncertainty.

"We go to sea not knowing if we will return," Salim Hamouda, a Gaza-based fisherman who has worked in the profession for years, told TNA.

Hamouda said the sea had previously provided his family with a stable source of income but had now become associated with fear and insecurity.

"We go out to sea not knowing what will happen to us. We might return with some fish, or we might lose our nets or boats, or we might be shot at or arrested. The sea has become a path to death for us, not a path to livelihood," he added.

Hamouda noted that the decline in fish stocks, rising fuel prices, and the high cost of fishing equipment had further undermined the profession.

Many fishermen and their families were now dependent on debt and humanitarian assistance, according to Hamouda.

"No one asks about us. Organisations talk about farmers, displaced people and workers, but fishermen have been forgotten," Hamouda lamented. "We have families and children who need food, medicine and education, and we have no other source of income."

Mohammed Saadallah, another fisherman from Gaza, said the fishing community had been living under a constant sense of fear and uncertainty, while many fishermen had lost their boats and nets during the war.

"We used to live off the sea, but today we cannot work," Saadallah told TNA, "A boat that used to support an entire family can be destroyed in minutes, while nets that we buy at great expense can be lost in an instant."

"We are not asking for the impossible. We simply want to work safely and return to our families. But even this right has been denied to us," he said.

Heavy losses

The restrictions have affected not only fishermen but also thousands of people who depend directly or indirectly on fishing for their livelihoods.

According to the Union of Fishermen's Committees, around 4,000 fishermen in Gaza work on more than 700 boats, while around 70,000 people rely on fishing and the sale of fish for income.

Bakr estimated that the fishing sector had suffered direct losses of about 120 million US dollars, with around 95 per cent of its infrastructure damaged or destroyed through bombardment, fires and the destruction of fishing equipment.

He estimated indirect losses at approximately 7 million dollars per month, as the fishing catch has fallen to about 2 per cent of its pre-war level.

Bakr described the restrictions and attacks on fishermen as violations of international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.

He also said the ceasefire had failed to provide meaningful protection for fishermen, as restrictions and attacks continued.

He called on the international community and relevant countries to pressure Israel to halt violations against fishermen, ensure safe access to fishing areas and support the rehabilitation of Gaza's fishing sector.