Many fishermen from the neighbouring Bahrain and the UAE deliberately venture into the Qatari waters because of relative abundance of prized fish stocks, and among them the popular hamour.
There is no excuse for fishermen who cross into Qatari waters claiming the winds brought them there, a senior official of the Ministry of Interior’s (MoI) Coasts and Borders Security Department said yesterday.
The Department catches as many as 18 during some weeks, most of whom claim that they entered Qatari waters from neighbouring areas by mistake.
Sometimes we catch the same people seventh or eighth time and they still say that the winds brought me here, the waves brought me here, Brigadier Ali Ahmed Al Bedeed, Director of Coasts and Borders Security Department, said at a press briefing yesterday.
He argued that such claims were preposterous because these fishermen have a Global Positioning System (GPD) and maps installed in their boats.
These people drop the trap for the fish in the middle of the sea and then they go home for five six days and comes back to pick the same traps for fish without any leaving any prior mark in the sea. We are talking about metal traps and they have up to 300 and 400 of them. Nobody goes to the middle of the sea without GPS anymore, Al Bedeed said.
He said that if Qatar allowed people from different countries to fish in its waters, there would be no fish left for the people in Qatar.
The kind of hamour fish found in Qatari waters is particularly famous in the region, often attracting fishermen from countries such as Bahrain and the UAE. We have fishing seasons when people from Qatar are allowed to fish commercially. If we don’t protect our fish, in one year’s time there won’t be any fish left in the Qatari waters.
He stressed that the Department warns people that violate the law before their cases are transferred to the judiciary.
If we catch someone who crosses over the border we forward his case to the judiciary. People can enter Qatari waters on their boats but they are not allowed to fish.
As per the law, only Qataris are issued licenses for fishing commercially.
People of other nationalities are allowed to fish in some areas as a hobby, but they can end up in court if they are sell them. Fishing in the Corniche area, for instance, is also not allowed.
We only advise people or warn them at first. We like people to go to the sea. But if people continue to violate the law over and over again, we take them to the court, Al Bedeed said.
2012 Peninsula News Paper