Fishing…. A profession that needs perseverance and patience

 Fishing constitutes an important source of income in the Syrian coastal cities, including Jableh in the countryside of Lattakia, whose residents  benef from the location of their city, which is in the middle of the coastal strip on the Mediterranean Sea and its connection to a wide countryside that extends to several Syrian  governorates , which constitute an important market for the sale of fish.

A number of   Jableh  port fishermen stressed to SANA   that  fishing  is a profession of patience and perseverance,  reviewing  fishing methods and types of nets , indicating    that most of the boats are suitable for all types of fishing except  some types  which require a large and strong boat.

The fisherman Rashad Al-Barbour said  that  the fishing seasons vary  throughout the year according to types of fishing , pointing to the commitment of fishermen to  the months of  fishing prohibition.

The fisherman Samih Kobash  believed  that the best fishing times are after the storms recede, as during a sea storm the turbidity of the sea water and its lack of clarity due to the rains keep the fish away from the shore.

In turn Ali Al-Naem pointed to the dangers to which fishermen are exposed, such as stinging puffer fish or dolphins cutting nets to get food.

Fisherman Jassar Ali Al-Farran, born in Jableh in 1934, learned the profession of fishing with nets and hooks from a young age to practice it in his old age.

With the diversity of marine fishing methods, dangerous and illegal fishing methods have emerged that have caused great damage to the marine environment and negatively affected the fish stock, such as the use of gas cylinders and air hoses and fishing with dynamite.

“This  necessitated strict measures to prevent the commission of these infringements and the issuance of decrees concerned with the protection of this wealth and the preservation of the vital balance in the environment” According to the head of the Fishermen’s Association in the city of Jableh, Hassan Qanadeel.

 He referred to the efforts  exerted  to secure the local market’s need for fish  according to their seasons, and prevent overfishing.

Qanadil explained that the General Directorate of Ports has registered a fixed number of fishing boats at about 1,700 boats to relieve pressure and provide appropriate conditions and a safe environment for fish breeding, taking into account the impact of climatic factors and the fluctuating weather conditions on egg production and abundance.

Rawaa Ghanam