AhlulBayt News Agency: Official data show that Gaza’s maritime fishing sector has suffered a complete 100% collapse due to ongoing Israeli attacks and the long‑standing naval blockade, turning the sea from a source of livelihood for thousands into a deadly zone for fishermen.
The Government Media Office reported that before the war, around 4,000 fishermen supported nearly 50,000 people, but the profession has now become life‑threatening, with 238 fishermen killed and about 450 others injured or arrested, alongside massive destruction of boats and fishing facilities.
Footage aired by Al Jazeera revealed extensive damage to boats, fishing sites, and fish farms, while Israeli forces continue firing at fishermen who approach even one mile from the shore, in addition to confiscating boats and destroying nets and equipment.
The collapse is not limited to the recent war; the naval blockade has been in place for more than 18 years. However, the past two years saw an almost total halt in fish production, contributing to direct agricultural and fishing losses estimated at $2.8 billion.
In Deir al‑Balah markets, the impact is visible as frozen and chilled fish—allowed in only through special coordination and at extra cost—are sold as substitutes for Gaza’s own catch, and only in limited varieties.
Meanwhile, the declining purchasing power of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians prevents them from buying fish even when small quantities become available.
An interactive map by journalist Salam Khader showed a drastic shrinking of Gaza’s fishing zone. Although the Oslo Agreement granted 20 nautical miles, this was reduced to 6 miles after 2006, then to less than that after October 2023, reaching as little as 3 kilometers—and now only about 800 meters from the shore.
UN reports confirm that fishing within such narrow limits severely affects fish size and availability, while repeated Israeli attacks have left Gaza Port nearly destroyed.
Zakaria Bakr, head of the Fishermen Committees, said the fishing zone is effectively “zero mile,” with the sea practically closed. He noted that some fishermen risk using small boats within the 800‑meter limit, where more than 67 fishermen have been killed.
Bakr added that the fishermen’s issue is absent from any agreements or official committees, warning that continued targeting and lack of support could erase the fishing profession entirely from Gaza.
These developments come amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza since October 2023, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000, while destroying around 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure.
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