I've been working in the field of development, in particular sustainable fisheries development, for a few years. In May 2005, I went to Ramallah to visit a friend and stayed in the Region to work and learn Arabic. When I came back, I played with the idea of starting a blog on fisheries in Gaza to share the information I had collected with interested persons and why not, stimulate project ideas. The blog title is a reference to the film of Hitchcock, Rear Window. The idea is that through the back window one often sees a reality which is different to that depicted in the media. I am interested in telling that different reality as well as to share critical information about Gaza.
Fishers: approx. 2,500 registered Of which, 1,040 fishers based in Mawasi area (Rafah and Khan Younis)
Support staff (repair, marketing): approx. 2,500
4 Fishing wharves: Gaza city, Deir el Balah, (Al Mawasi) Khan Younis, (Al Mawasi) Rafah
Fishing units (not all in working conditions): Trawlers (17), Shanshula Launch (purse seine - 66), motorised Hasaka (495), unmotorised Hasaka (150)
Catches: mostly sardines, but also mackerel, swimming crab, cuttlefish, horse mackerel, prawns and little tunny
Fishery Administration: General directorate of Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture; Ministry of Transport; Coastal Police
Private Institutions: Al Towfiq cooperative; and fishermen associations
Key issues
Limits on fishing areas (currently 3 nautical miles)
Likely full or overexploitation of major accessible fisheries resources
Pollution
Restrictions on Access and Trade to and from Gaza
No Seaport, No airport
Many boats are holed and/or rusty
Lack of infrastructures and facilities
Vulnerable areas: prior to 2005: Al Mawasi (Fishers from Khan Younis were totally prevented from fishing between 2000 and 2005, and were restricted from maintaining their boats for much of that period. Fishermen from Rafah could fish, but were also subject to restrictions on access to their boats. Over the same period, total revenue generated by the Mawasi fishing industry dropped by more than two-thirds, forcing many fishermen to rely heavily on food assistance)