The Land Center for Human Rights received complaints from Edko fishermen who were affected by the actions of a businessman who is allegedly trespassing on the lake water by establishing a fish farm on an area of 100 acres. And this fish farm is located in the area of free fishing where small-scale fishermen and young graduates fish for livelihood. The violator practices bullying against the fishermen and prevents them from fishing in this area, paying no attention to the law and the Constitution.
The complaints stress that the businessman and another man with influence are trespassing on other parts of the lake, burning fishermen's boats, ruining their fishing nets, firing shots on them and evicting them out of the lake. More than 15 administrative records and 14 misdemeanors were filed to prove these violations, but most of these records disappear after being filed.
The General Body of Fish Resources and other relevant authorities have issued decisions to remove these violations because they are contrary to the provisions of the law, and the latest of which was resolution No. 336, which had not been implemented.
In spite of a new resolution from the General Authority for Fisheries No. 178 for the year 2009 for the rapid implementation of the decisions of the previous elimination and removal of the violations on the lake, but so far it has not been implemented because of the complicity of the police bodies and the staff of the General Authority for Fisheries for the benefit of the violator, stating on paper only that the violations have been removed.
The Center is submitting the complaints to the Minister of Agriculture and the Chief of Fisheries to take the necessary action to remove the encroachment in the waters of Edko Lake made for free fishing, demanding them to speed up the implementation of of the removal process of the violations on the real ground, not only on paper and punish those involved with the violator to ensure the rights of small-scale fishermen in safe fishing.
LCHR also calls the civil society organizations and associations of fishermen and members of the People's Assembly and Shura Council to unite in solidarity with the fishermen to implement the removal decisions of the encroachment on the lake in order for Edco fishermen to obtain their rights to a secure, free and dignified life and stop wasting our natural resources.
For more information, please contact the Center

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