END OF THE LINE

THE troubled fishing industry in Bahrain is coming to the end of the line for one family ... and unless more government help is forthcoming it will not be the last.

Bahraini fisherman Hassan Abdulla Ahmed had been taught the art of the profession by his late father, who himself was nurtured by his father before him, and dreamed of passing on the knowledge of the seas to his son, Ali.

But the generation game ends now. He will urge the 13-year-old to pursue another career.

"I am making sure that my son gets a good education, I don't want him to become a fisherman and face a life full of difficulties," he said.

"I want the best for my son and being a fisherman in the present life is not."

Ali, who attends Duraz Intermediate School for Boys', hopes to become a banker or computer programmer.

The fishing industry is probably Bahrain's oldest dating back to time immemorial and many villages doted around the coast have been established by families who have been trying to keep the tradition alive against insurmountable odds.

In recent years they have faced the effects of land reclamation, dwindling stocks, competition from larger professional outfits, a levy charged on foreign workers and a crackdown on unregistered family support.

It was tough enough a job tackling the elements, the fury of the high seas, the hard physical labour and the simple unpleasant smell of working with fish day-in and day-out without these added challenges, explained Mr Ahmed, from Janabiya, who is also well-known as a local fish monger operating from the side of the main road in Saar.

He said: "It is a very tough, tiring job, we get dirty and smelly and even if we take a shower after a long working day we still smell of fish.

"But, despite the fact that the money is not always good, it is a way of life my family has been proud to be a part of.

"I became a fisherman at a very young age. My late father used to take me and my brothers with him to catch fish and back then I was around 14," recalled the 43-year-old.

"There was always plenty of fish, prawns and crabs in the sea. I remember it used to take us only a couple of hours to catch enough for a whole day's sale.

"Although the prices for the catch were cheap so many people used to buy our seafood we could always make a good income. It was always regarded as a healthy meal at a reasonable cost."

Mr Ahmed said his late father taught him everything he needed to know about fishing.

"I know the best area for fishing, when is the best time to go out to sea and how the moon and the wind affect it," he explained.

"Thanks to my father I became a professional fisherman who was able to shoulder the financial responsibilities of the family."

Mr Ahmed has five children, two married daughters from his first marriage and another two girls and a son with his current wife.

Bahraini fisherman Hassan Abdulla Ahmed is a popular, well-known face in Saar after setting up a stall selling Saffi, Kan'ad, She'ari and Hamour in addition to prawns and crabs four years ago and pays the local municipality BD30 a month for his spot on the side of the road.

"I also have three Indian workers who are under my visa, one of them stays with me in Saar and the other two help me when I go fishing or work in the Central Market in Manama," he said. "If ever I don't have the time to go out to sea myself I buy catches from other local fishermen and sell the produce on my stand."

Mr Ahmed believes the industry desperately needs more government support if it is to survive and the land reclamation issue refuses to go away. He said: "There is construction work going on. What are we suppose to do or where are we suppose to go?"

The government says it is aware of the fishermen's plight and is attempting to assist and tackle the issues raised.

Tamkeen and Al Ebdaa Bank, for example, recently signed an agreement to provide a co-financing programme offering grants to fishermen.

Under the agreement, the kingdom's job support agency, has allocated around BD2 million to assist 500 Bahraini fishermen over a two-year period, to boost their business with new technical assistance such as nets, boats and other equipment.

The first phase of the programme to empower Bahraini fishermen has already seen 163 of them benefitting from grants offered, which has subsidised 50 per cent of the cost of fishing equipment and tools.

Mr Ahmed believes the initiative is a 'great step' but unfortunately it is a too little, too late to keep the tradition alive for future generations of his family.