“The fisherman lives under life threatening conditions yet does not receive any attention from the government,” said Ali Morshedi, one of the oldest fishermen in Ezbet Elbourg.

“The fisherman lives under life threatening conditions yet does not receive any attention from the government,” said Ali Morshedi, one of the oldest fishermen in Ezbet Elbourg.

This small city, which dates back to the Abbasid era, is located 845 kilometers northeast of Egypt and close to Damietta city. It has nearly 65% of the Egyptian fishing fleet including over 200 fishing boats at sea in addition to more than 1800 boats in international territorial waters especially in Eritrea, Turkey, Greece, Somalia and Yemen. The city also has the best skilled fishermen in the area and Ezbet Elbourg’s fishermen are the most highly demanded labor at the international level specifically in Greece, Italy, Malta, Cyprus and Turkey.

Ezbet Elbourg, inhabited by merely 50,000 people, contains several workshops for manufacturing fishing ships and ice factories in addition to selling textile as well as fishing accessories in a town where such a profession is inherited across generations. However, the general outlook of the city does not reflect the bitter reality experienced by its inhabitants.

“We pay huge amounts of money for regular insurance or asset insurance on an annual basis, but the government does not offer any compensation for job risks that include drowning, kidnapping or piracy, especially on the coasts of Somalia and Yemen,” said Morshedi. He hopes that the government would properly consider the poor conditions and risks under which the fishermen are living.

Prohibited statements

Captain of fishermen in Ezbet Elbourg Hassan Gharbawi said it is necessary to activate the union establishment freedom law, especially in the absence of proper supervision by the General Authority for Fisheries. He also stressed the need to oblige fishermen to become members in one of six unions to guarantee their rights and the rights of their families considering the risks included in the job. Gharbawi also said that fishermen should be provided with fishing supplies including nets, ropes and other accessories at affordable prices. He added that some fishermen earn daily wages while others share profits, as several fishermen share the property of a fishing boat which costs nearly 2,000,000 EP, according to size and equipment, and accustoms a crew between five to 12 fishermen. No fishing permits means no food for the family, he said.

Accumulated debts

Ibrahim Khamis, one of the oldest fishermen in the area, narrated the tragedy of 300 families under the threat of displacement for their accumulated debts at the Development and Agricultural Credit Bank and their inability to sell their boats unless their debts are covered, which have doubled as a result of the imposed interests on the original amount.

A last resort

Mohammed Obaid, Coordinator of the Popular Committee for Defending Fishermen’s Rights referred to another issue affecting fishermen in Ezbet Elbourg, which is fuel smuggling.  Fisherman who resort to smuggling fuel with small boats earn nearly 10,000 EP (US $1,400)/day by selling fuel to foreign ships at double the price. Fishermen have taken advantage of the repeated fuel shortage crises that sometimes last for weeks before being solved.