Demo call to help save coastline.

Byline: BASMA MOHAMMED

FISHERMEN have issued a rallying call to the public in a bid to drum up support for their campaign against land reclamation.

They are urging anyone "who cares for Bahrain, its coasts and beaches" to join in a demonstration taking place later today in Seef.

The peaceful protest will take place at the fishing harbour in Seef at 5pm.

"Anybody who cares for Bahrain, its coasts and beaches can come and demonstrate with us," said fisherman Ahmed Meshaime'e.

"This is a peaceful demonstration," he said

He said the fishermen were not only campaigning for their own benefit, but also on behalf of families who visit the country's beaches and coastlines.

"We decided to demonstrate because we are fed up of the coasts being reclaimed," he added.

"We won't stop. We will send letters and complaints to His Majesty King Hamad and to all officials again until our case is heard."

Among those expected to attend the demonstration are MP Abdul Jaleel Khalil and Municipal Councillors Majeed Millad and Hameed Al Basri.

"The fishermen wanted to demonstrate in the hope of sending a message to officials to stop illegal reclamation and grant them the right to use public property - the coasts of Bahrain," said Mr Al Basri.

"The reclamation in this area is an old issue.

"Every time the fishermen settle in an area, they are asked after a year or so to move because reclamation will happen.

"In 2004, officials and His Majesty ordered a jetty to be built for them and a delegation came to the area to see where to place the jetty, but nothing happened since and the fishermen are still waiting."

A developer has been reclaiming the sea off the coast of Seef despite a ban issued last month by the Manama Municipal Council.

Mr Al Basri said the council was powerless to stop it because the company was owned by a VIP.

The GDN reported on Monday that fishermen from the area planned to stage weekly protests in Seef against the reclamation.

It will be the latest in a string of weekly demonstrations, which started two months ago.

Fishermen from nearby areas, such as Duraz, Budaiya, A'ali, Karbabad, Al Daih, Jidhafs and Megsha'a, claim they have already lost their coast to reclamation.

They claim their jetties have been destroyed and the places they used to put their nets are now gone - meaning they have had to relocate to Seef.

Fisherman Ali Ahmed has expressed the reclamation as destroying, it has caused the area to have mud ruining the nets and boats and causing fish to leave the area.

"Our income is from this coast," said fisherman Ali Ahmed, who added that mud kicked up from the seabed was ruining fishing nets - adding that fish stocks were in decline.

"This is not letting us fish. The coast used to be around 15km long - now it only covers around one kilometer and is jammed with boats from fishermen coming from different areas.

"Around 180 to 200 boats are docked here."

Hammed Jaffar Ismail is a fisherman who inherited the profession from his father, but is now responsible for feeding 14 members of his household - including his four children.

He says he has had to take a second job as a date farmer because reclamation was killing off fish.

"The reclamation has been happening for years now," he said.

"It costs us our jobs. We can't get enough fish anymore and this is affecting our income.

"I have to work as a date farmer to get extra money to support my family.

"Most fishermen now rely on a second source of income to live - with the reclamation it is not a stable support system for us."

Fisherman Mohammed Abdulla revealed the rocks used in reclamation were actually damaging moored fishing boats.

"We don't have enough space to dock out boats and when the wind blows, boats bump into each other causing severe damage," he said.

"Also, rocks have been placed on the coastline where new reclamation is planned.

"When boats hit them they get destroyed, causing further loss to the fishermen."

The fishermen say they did try to clean the coast and rented a crane to remove debris, but added they had been stopped by police who accused them of stealing sand.

Mr Al Basri and a group of fishermen met Municipalities and Agriculture Minister Mansoor bin Rajab to discuss the issue on Tuesday.

They asked the minister to stop the reclamation, which has apparently been halted for 10 days while solutions are discussed.

Restrictions on reclaiming and building the area have already been imposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, which said it could threaten the Bahrain Fort's status as a World Heritage Site.

The restrictions stipulate that Bahrain must maintain a "view corridor" to preserve the traditional surroundings of the fort, known as Qalat Al Bahrain, which was the seat of power for the 4,000-year-old Dilmun civilisation.

Copyright A[umlaut] 2008 Gulf Daily News

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