LIMITED ACCESS TO PROFITABLE FISHING FOR GAZANS

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000716 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS; TREASURY FOR NUGENT/HIRSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN PGOV KWBG IS SUBJECT: LIMITED ACCESS TO PROFITABLE FISHING FOR GAZANS REF: 2006 JERUSALEM 2826 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Gaza fishermen cannot operate more than six nautical miles (n.m.) from the Gaza coast, devastating an industry that supports an estimated 30,000 Gazans, according to the April 2007 OCHA Special Focus report. As the sardine season approaches, the 3,000 registered Gaza fishermen are prohibited from accessing the main sardine schools, which swim 10 n.m. from the coast. Local fishermen have reported numerous occasions of Israeli navy vessels firing on fishing boats that have allegedly wandered into restricted waters, resulting in the deaths of three fishermen since October ¶2006. End summary. LIMITED ACCESS TO THE BIG FISH -------------- ¶2. (SBU) There are 3,000 registered Gaza fishermen; 2,000 boat maintenance workers; and an estimated 30,000 other Gazans who are dependent on the fishing industry, which represents four percent of the Palestinian Gross Domestic Product, according to the April 2007 OCHA Special Focus report. In 2006, Gaza fishermen caught 1,604 tons of fish, a significant drop from the 1999 catch of 3,651 tons. In October 2006, Israel relaxed some restrictions on Gaza fishermen by allowing them access to waters within six n.m. of the shoreline, which is mainly a breeding area for young and small fish. The larger, more mature fish swim 10 n.m. off-shore and remain off-limits to the Palestinian fishing industry. ¶3. (SBU) According to the OCHA report, an average fishing trip costs between USD 500 and USD 2,500. Since many Gaza fisherman do not find fishing profitable in the 6 n.m. zone, they have begun searching for alternative forms of employment. ¶4. (SBU) The head of El-Tawafeek Fishermen Association Mohammed Zaquot told Econoff on April 10 that the fishing industry in Gaza had less than USD 5 million in earnings during 2006, in comparison to the USD 10 million earned in ¶1999. The OCHA report states that sardines, which swim along the Gaza coast during the spring months, represent 70 percent of the annual total Gazan fish catch. Sardines will remain largely off-limits to Gaza fisherman during the 2007 season, as they mainly swim an estimated 10 n.m. from the shoreline, according to Zaquot. STRICT ISRAELI NAVAL ENFORCEMENT OF THE 6 N.M. ZONE -------------- ¶5. (SBU) According to OCHA and local press reports, numerous fishing boats have been fired-upon by Israeli navy vessels in recent months for allegedly wandering into restricted waters (see reftel). According to Zaquot, a few GPS-equipped fishermen have reported numerous occasions over the last few months where Israel navy vessels have fired at fishing boats working inside the 6 n.m. zone. Zaquot told Econoff on April 10 that three fisherman had been killed by Israeli gunfire since October 2006, a number also reported in the April OCHA report. (Note: Most Gaza fisherman do not have GPS, so their exact location may not be known to them. End note.) ¶6. (SBU) The Project Director of the USAID Palestinian Agribusiness Partnership Activity (PAPA) program, Said Sabri, spoke April 18 to a veteran Gaza fisherman who was involved in an April 17 incident at sea with an Israeli navy vessel. (Note: PAPA assists Palestinian farmers and fishermen by providing them with capital assets, training, and technical assistance. The program has recently initiated a project to supply Gaza fisherman with GPS hand-held units, along with nets, lines, sinkers, and hooks. End note.) The fisherman, who did not have a GPS unit, claimed to be fishing in unrestricted waters and was fired-upon by an Israeli navy vessel. He told Sabri that the Israeli vessel instructed him to sail to the Israeli port of Ashdod. According to the fisherman, he fearfully ignored those instructions and quickly returned his boat to Gaza City. He told Sabri that he did not know why he had been instructed to sail to Ashdod, but he suspected that he would have been arrested and his boat confiscated. WALLES