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Message from Edko fishermen to the Minister of Agriculture Fishermen can't find their livelihoods because of the Edko lake manager Who can help them so that they don't die of hunger?
There are more than 10 thousand fishermen working in Edko lake to produce food for the people. The lake manager acts as if he owns the lake. He sees that these fishermen are intruders and he is allowing them to work in the lake out of sympathy. He thinks that net and small boat fishermen must pay to be allowed to fish, that is why he is making a lot of violations in the lake for the favor of the big fishermen and fish farm owners. Because of that, the fishermen presented several complaints to the head of the general corporation of developing the fishery wealth who has formed a committee at the end of 2007, which has inspected Kom Blag, Meet, Bab Al Kareem, Bab Belal and Wagh El Khaleeg areas and monitored many violations, but non of these violations were corrected and non of the violators were punished. The most important violations were:
• Big fishermen taking over the Eastern and Western sides of Bab Al Kareem.
• The existence of a fish farm in Meet area over an area of 100 feddans, and 300 feddans in other areas.
• In Wagh El Khaleeg area, 3 fish farms were established over 300 feddans in the free fishing area where more than 2000 fishermen used to work.
• In the same area there is also a big gate established to feed the violating fish farms. And other doors in other areas 2 kilometers wide. In addition to many other violations in other areas.
LCHR asserts that these actions violate law no. 329 for the year1985 and law no. 124 for the year 1983, which is also considered a waste of the public money and natural resources and also an attempt to displace thousands of fishermen.
LCHR asserts the necessity of punishing the lake manager for allowing all these violations. LCHR wonders why did the general corporation of developing the fishery wealth neglect the results of the monitoring committee.
LCHR presents the complaints of these fishermen to the Ministry of Agriculture to investigate these violations and punish the violators and also allow the fishermen to form independent associations and bonds.
LCHR also calls all CSOs to unite in solidarity with the demands of Edko fishermen against the tyranny of the lake manager and the water police in an attempt to protect our natural resources and wealth and fishermen's rights to safe ishing and decent living.
For more information, please contact the Center.