Chief of Gaza fishermen Nizar Ayyash has affirmed that the fishermen are living their worst days ever and the fishing industry suffers a severe recession as a result of Israel’s naval blockade and daily aggressive practices against them in Gaza waters.
“The fishing season is very weak and the Israeli navy continuously opens fire [at fishermen] and bans sailing in a distance beyond three to five miles so the fishing sector is going through its worst times ever nowadays and we cannot repair the boats because of the blockade” Ayyash told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) on Saturday.
He said that the Israeli navy targets fishermen’s boats on a daily basis along the Gaza coast especially off the shores of Beit Lahia.
One fisherman was killed and his boat was destroyed by the Israeli navy in early January while three fishermen suffered different injuries in gunfire attacks by gunboats during the last few days the fishermen chief noted.
The fishing industry in Gaza has sustained heavy losses amounting to over five million dollars as a result of Israel’s restrictions on fishing and violations against fishermen since its war on Gaza in the summer of 2014 according to Ayyash.
Dozens of fishermen had been either killed or wounded and hundreds arrested by the Israeli navy since the outbreak of the Aqsa intifada in 2000.
Under the Oslo agreement signed between the Palestinian Authority and Israel in 1993 the Palestinian fishermen are allowed to sail freely within a distance of 20 nautical miles from the coast but Israel since 2000 has been prohibiting fishing activities beyond five nautical miles.
Israel has also violated the 2014 Gaza ceasefire agreement regarding its commitment to expanding the fishing zone and ending assaults on fishermen.
