Trouble in fishing waters

What a racist society we are. Yes, I know Bahrain is celebrated for its harmony and its freedom of religion and cultural identity. It’s a quirk of human nature that these admirable traits can exist easily cheek-by-jowl with casual racism that would never pass muster in countries that boast of a high happiness index.  I am speaking about the views expressed by Bahraini fishermen to our Tribune reporters, which placed the blame of rising fish prices (quite seasonal in high summer) squarely on expatriate fishermen. Really? Rules in Bahrain are very strict about restricting the operating of fishing vessels to Bahraini owners.

It is quite another matter that the Bahraini fishing fleet owners employ expats from other cheap labour nations to man the boats and they work under very difficult conditions. These are the ‘expat fishermen’ that Bahrainis are blaming, quite overlooking the fact that they are not independent operators but merely employees of Bahraini fishermen. What are the conditions at sea for fishermen? Firstly, despite the mechanised trawlers, it is a tough life, exposed to the elements, the salty air and spray and the blazing sun. Even if the fleet goes out at night, there will be stinging sea waves and always, the risk of straying into non-Bahraini waters and facing arrest and imprisonment.

There is no guarantee of a boatload of catch – it is a profession of chance. It is a job that requires patience, nerves and muscles of steel, the focus of a fighter and the ability to withstand the disappointment of poor catches and fluctuating of prices.  In Bahrain, because the sea is a bay and the waters are not ocean-deep, fishing boats are of medium size. Still, the problem of over-fishing persists even in our territorial waters. Reclamation has bitten huge chunks into our coastline and our waters and boats are having to travel further and further inland to seek fish. Moreover, in their rush to meet market demand, fishermen are fishing indiscriminately – so much so, that classic Bahraini fish such as Hamour and Safi are being pushed to scarcity.

Even now, during these months of the shrimping ban to allow stocks to replenish during the breeding season, violators are being caught daily.  What can we, the chair-bound advisors in air-conditioned offices and homes, do to make this situation better? Firstly, we need to watch what we are eating and eat seasonally available food. That means, no shrimp biryani during summer months. Sometime back, top class restaurants in Dubai started a ‘Say No to Hamour’ movement to encourage guests to explore other fish options and reduce the pressure in the market for the endangered fist. Why can we not do this in Bahrain? Start a ‘Say No to Shrimp’ movement and refuse to buy the illegal catch. If we choke off demand, supply will automatically dwindle. Fishing methods need to be reorganised.

Countries like Bahrain are still closer to sustainable fishing methods. But in the big seas, we have fishing factories in the high seas which, the FAO says, account for discarded fish and sea life that accounts for 8 per cent of the total weight of the world’s captures, or more than 7.3 million tonnes of fish. We can reduce our use of single-use plastic and microplastics which end up causing damage to the marine environment.  You know how you spot a fresh fish catch? By its clear eyes. Similarly, we have to spot our fisheries problems with clear eyes and not get diverted by cloudy judgement that blames expats and other non-existent causes.