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Waters of the lake are no longer a source of income…..but a tool for trade and corruption
In the lake of Edco the Fisheries authorities impoverish the small fishermen, and waste the natural resources, and violate their rights through twisted methods that have led to the loss of millions of pounds and enabled one person to monopolize a fish farm of 2000 feddans for 20 years at a time where thousands of small farmers used to fish in an similar surface area. The remarkable thing is that the lake tenant (an ex member of the people’s assembly and a deputy in the NDP) was not paying the rent where a decision number 501 was issued against him of seizing his property for none payment of rent estimated at 126 thousand Egyptian pounds while he was making millions!!!!
In the fishermen’s complaints to the LCHR their heartbreak because of the fisheries decision which has troubled the social justice and caused millions of pound loss to the government through legal tricks. An example on that is the Khobeizah farm, surface area 1990 feddans rented by the fisheries to an ex member of the people’s assembly since 1988 until now (20 years) for the value of 1650 (300 feddans less than the real surface are)for which an estimated average rent of 2000 per feddan (20*300feddans*2000 pounds) which means a loss of 6000000 LE.
In addition, areas of the lake were rented illegally for less than 100LE per feddan at the same time where in different spots in the same governrate such as Koum Blage Farm the rent reached 3000LE per feddan, whitha quick calculation the government has lost (1990 feddans x 1000 LE av. per feddax 20 years) equals 39800000. In parallel small fishermen suffer from narrow areas, poverty and impoverishment and are being chased by the police who confiscates their boats which are their sole source of income in violation of provisions of the law which states that boats may not be confiscated in minor offences such as forgetting fishing license
After the fishermen have filed hundreds of complaints before the fisheries authority to stop this wasting and corruption, the authority has divided the area to 41 pieces and open a register for the fishermen to present demands for renting them provided that the tenants should be owning or renting already a farm!! This way the small fishermen couldn’t’ benefit from this offer. This decision is in violation of the law number 89 for the year 98 that states that tenders should be done under equal chances to all parties, as well as the article 40 of the constitution that states that citizens are equal before the law with no discrimination.
The decision is also abusive in a sense that the authority miss used its power, and the remarkable thing is that the same ex member of the people’s assembly who we mentioned earlier was able through fraudulent but legal ways to have only his people participate in the bidding
The LCHR has filed a complaint before the minister of agriculture and the head of the fisheries authority to investigate in those violations and punish those behind the wasting of our country resources and impoverishing citizens and fishermen of Edco to the benefit of one person. The fisheries has answered in a letter number 1147 and the letter came in contradiction with the following facts:
1- The surface area of the lake is estimated to be 1990 feddans and not 1549 as mentioned in the letter, as per decision number 528 issued in 10/5/1997, as well as the report of central administration for the west area 10 14/7/1996.
2- The authority claims that it has not excluded fishermen who were eligible and has not allowed ineligible ones to participate, we state for example Mr. Hassan Darweech and Mr. Ahmed Saïd Ragab who were excluded despite being eligible, and Mr. Sabry Mohamed Ismaël who was allowed to participate although several reports of were issued against him for complaints from both Mr Bahr Mansour and Abdel Mosef Mohamed Ismael Belal, a report for trespassing on the rea of Wagh El Khaleig, in addition to a removal decision number 46 for 2008 that was issued for the trespassing he had on the lake, it is useful to mention that the tender regulations prevents candidates against which reports were issued especially those concerning trespassing on the lake!
3- The fisheries has wasted public money to the benefit of the tenant of El Khobeizah Farm, who rented since 96 to 2007 for an average of 93LE per feddan while it rented farms in Koum Blage for around 1000LE per fedaan that have now increased to 3000LE per feddan, so how comes this happens? And how will punish the employees for steeling public wealth to the benefit of some powerful persons?
The LCHR has appealed before the administrative judiciary court number 43150 for 62 in order to cancel the authority decision on the tender of El Khobeizah Farm for rent, and to redo the tender in a legal way as stated by the law.
The center has filed a complaint before the minister of agriculture asking him to open investigation on this case of wasting public resources and the violations of the rights of small fishermen caused by the employees of the fisheries authority, and to re-rent El Khobeizah Farm to small fishermen and newly graduated in the governorate, where the farms should be divided into 400 pieces of 5 feddans each to guarantee equality and to provide source of income and improve the conditions of most fishermen in respect of the law and the constitution.
For more information please contact the Center.