21
“New report for Land Center”
) At the past we used to fish one hundred kilos a day, but from ten years ago, all conditions changed that we were surprised with Nile flowers, reeds and fishing farms every where. Although I am sixty, I am obligated to fish in the lake because the governmental lake isn’t enough for living expenses. When we ask the co-operative association for help, the officials there wonder “which aid do you ask for, your vessel equals nothing!!”. Now I and my children don’t equal nothing after belharsia and moisture ate our bodies)
This is Uncle Hassan Mahros voice, which is one of tens complaints in Land Center-the nineteenth issue- social and economic series-its title is “Enlightening and developing abilities of Edko fishermen”. In fact its voice from 11457 voices in Edko Lake, which protest against poverty. We tried through their stories and demands to reveal the great difference between fishing wealth that the officials talk about and the violations that happen against fishermen.
It displays the environmental violations like fry stealing, it asserts that fry production of the lake decreases from 18 million ton in 1989 to ½ million ton in 1994. In addition to Nile flowers and negligence of fishing wealth administration to clean the lake that led to decrease the depth of the lake to ½ meter, moreover lake pollution with factories and sewage wastes, these wastes come to the lake through El Madia gate.
It shows another types of violations like changing 14500 fedan. to soils without lenience, in addition to fishing farms as El Khobiza and El Steen, the number of the farms are 254 one in 1993 whose survey is 6920 fedan.
It shows the role of fishermen associations in Edko and El Madia, their regular law and how it agrees international treaties of human rights and Egyptian constitution. It points to several legal and constitutional violations in this law like administrational interference and punishments. It asserts that the only solution for these violations is to delete some articles of law 123 for 1982. It discusses the problems of Edko fishermen and the absence of democracy in co-operative associations that 51% of them refuse its following to governmental authorities while 22% of them ask to manage it themselves.
It also shows the negative action of association administration towards Lake Privatization that led to spreading of fishing farms. About the role of fishing wealth administration, it shows the gap between officials declarations in the administration and their real activities. The study points that 89% of fishermen think that the administration play negative role and doesn’t present any help for them, 64% of them think that it doesn’t interest with fry stealing, 93% of them think that the main problem is the absence of fishing source, 69% of them think that the problem is the maltreatment of coast police and its preservation for their vessels, 42% of them think that the difficulty to reach to the beach is the most important problem while 29% of them thinks that their violating fishing with its dangers and problems of immigration are the most difficult problems.
About coast police, it shows that it is unfair in executing the law that it punishes poor fishermen with no reason, while leaving farms owners and fry thieves.
It displays the results of this study that these policies serve 254 of farm owners benefits, while 11457 of fishermen face destruction for their income and obligate to immigrate to other lakes and to release their children from education. It asks fishermen to set up fishermen union in El Behera, providing them with credit means and health insurance, decreasing welfare age and amendment the farms law.
1- Obligate companies and factories to make other sewage nets and stop throwing their wasts in the lake.
2- Coast police has to stop arresting fishermen without prosecution permission.
3- Change punishment in law 124 for 1983 that some of them should be harder, while others should be more light. In addition to amendments in some fines that don’t suit the changes in the society.
4- Make training courses to create awarded persons with protection of coasts and fishing through co-operation between coast police, specialized scientists, civil associations and fishermen.
5- Protect free fishing areas, disagree for farms setting up, remove illegal fishing farms, work to stop fry stealing and provide the lake with new kinds of fries.
6- Search for ways to increase living, health and environmental conditions of fishermen through co-operation between civil associations and government.
7- Share fishermen in making decisions by obligating monitoring over all co-operative associations and search for possibilities to set up new associations.
8- Let Edko fishermen to set up separate association that old one interests only with sea fishermen.
9- Change law 123 for 1983 because of its unconstitutional articles that don’t agree with Egyptian constitution.
10- Dig new canals to refresh the natural and chemical characteristics and use modern machinery to change dry areas to coasts.
11- Put Edko Lake under continuous researching to remark all environmental and biological changers and asses fishermen behavior.
12- Prepare meetings with all fishermen and associations around Edko Lake future.
The center calls the ministers of agriculture and social and environmental affairs and officials in fishing wealth administration to execute these recommendations in order to protect fishing wealth, natural sources and fishermen rights in our country.