11 October 2010
KUWAIT: The prices of fish that have already skyrocketed in recent weeks mostly owing to high demand following Ramadan. It expected to soar to new highs due to the ongoing strike being staged by expatriate fishermen, with the support of local sponsors. The group demands better treatment and the lifting of several 'sanctions' on Kuwaiti territorial waters.
Yes, we are still on strike. We have agreed not to work until our demands are met," said Ahmed, one of the protesting fishermen at the Sharq Warf yesterday. "There are officials that have already spoken to our representative, but I think, they haven't reached an agreement as yet. We'll wait for their instructions before resuming normal work again," he told Kuwait Times.
The prices of fish in the market have already been affected and some vendors admitted to prices increasing again since yesterday, "At least now, we still have fish to sell. Some are imported from neighboring countries, but I don't know about tomorrow," commented a fish vendor when asked if fish supplies were sufficient.
Yesterday's shrimp auction was normal according to some vendors, but what was noticeable was a considerably less display of fish in the market. The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) has imposed a ban on using nylon nets for trawling purposes, in compliance with the agreement signed between all the GCC countries for ecological reasons.
However, the Kuwait Fisherman Association has argued that the proposed replacement (cotton net) was not only weak, but also unsuitable for commercial fishing. Besides, they claimed that none of the GCC countries who are signatories to the nylon net ban charter have enforced or applied the ban. The fishermen also complained of strict rules that govern the ban on fishing 'maids' (a kind of edible but tiny fish) in the Kuwaiti bay. Despite efforts made by some representative, they complain that their demands were allegedly being ignored and that many offenders were being deported.
KUWAIT: The prices of fish that have already skyrocketed in recent weeks mostly owing to high demand following Ramadan. It expected to soar to new highs due to the ongoing strike being staged by expatriate fishermen, with the support of local sponsors. The group demands better treatment and the lifting of several 'sanctions' on Kuwaiti territorial waters.
Yes, we are still on strike. We have agreed not to work until our demands are met," said Ahmed, one of the protesting fishermen at the Sharq Warf yesterday. "There are officials that have already spoken to our representative, but I think, they haven't reached an agreement as yet. We'll wait for their instructions before resuming normal work again," he told Kuwait Times.
The prices of fish in the market have already been affected and some vendors admitted to prices increasing again since yesterday, "At least now, we still have fish to sell. Some are imported from neighboring countries, but I don't know about tomorrow," commented a fish vendor when asked if fish supplies were sufficient.
Yesterday's shrimp auction was normal according to some vendors, but what was noticeable was a considerably less display of fish in the market. The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) has imposed a ban on using nylon nets for trawling purposes, in compliance with the agreement signed between all the GCC countries for ecological reasons.
However, the Kuwait Fisherman Association has argued that the proposed replacement (cotton net) was not only weak, but also unsuitable for commercial fishing. Besides, they claimed that none of the GCC countries who are signatories to the nylon net ban charter have enforced or applied the ban. The fishermen also complained of strict rules that govern the ban on fishing 'maids' (a kind of edible but tiny fish) in the Kuwaiti bay. Despite efforts made by some representative, they complain that their demands were allegedly being ignored and that many offenders were being deported.
By Ben Garcia
© Kuwait Times 2010
