With the rising of the sun every new day, the young Luay Al-Awadi (22 years) trekking the sea, which is directly adjacent to his house in the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, in order to pursue his first and favorite hobby of fishing abundant livelihood, which is embraced by the depths of the Mediterranean.
Young Louay does not own a boat or fishing equipment. Rather, he sails relying on his talent and experience in swimming and diving, and by using simple capabilities created by both hands, he spent four years hunting lobsters, or as he is known in some countries as "crabs", with his hands and hand-spinning nets. .
Occupation risks
Luay said to "Emirates Today", which met him before the start of his daily fishing trip: "I live near the seashore, and since I was little I have spent most of the time in the water. My father taught me to swim and dive in the depths of the water."
He notes that his fishing talent began to grow since 2016, but despite the lack of fishing capabilities like other fishermen, he resorted to relying on his talent, so he made nets with his own hands using simple tools, such as empty water bottles.
Young Al-Awadi goes on, saying: “In the crab season, which starts in the middle of the summer until the end of the autumn season, I mean daily at sea by swimming, after I put in my hands leather gloves and wear a marine binoculars, to start diving to catch lobsters, where my brother joins me Mahmoud, to store the quantities that we catch in a large plastic container. We take it with us and attach it to water bottles to float on the water.
The young Luay is one of a large group of young fishing enthusiasts in Gaza, who do not own the prices of boats and fishing equipment that are expensive financially, but at the same time they did not make their passion idle, so they unleashed their hobby by using simple tools, made by their hands, to navigate the depths of the blue waters. And it gives them abundant livelihood away from the restrictions and dangers of the occupation.
It is noteworthy that the occupation limits the fishing area in front of the Gazan fishermen's boats, which do not exceed a distance of six nautical miles, in addition to the Israeli forces and marine boats intercepting the fishermen's way during their daily fishing trip, confiscating their boats and equipment, and arresting many of them, in addition to shooting at them, which caused Dozens of them were injured and killed during the past years.
Various motives
The motives of fishing enthusiasts in the Gaza Strip are numerous, as there are those who seek to bring a livelihood and take it to the market to sell it, in order to provide for what their children and family need, and most of them provide what their nets catch for their families with delicious and healthy meals.
There is a type of amateur youth who combine the hobby of fishing with social media activity, among them the young Al-Awadi, who depicts on his mobile phone or with the help of his brother Mahmoud, all stages of his daily fishing trip, to display them on the communication pages, in a step to spread his talent only, as for the quantities of fish that He hunts it, and it becomes a meal for his family, or as a gift to friends and relatives.
The young Hussam Al-Hissi (36 years), goes daily to the beach to spread his nets on the face of the water, in an attempt to catch fish that enable him to provide a livelihood for his family, or to sell it in the market to meet the needs of his children.
Fisherman Al-Hissi says: “For 15 years, I have gone to the sea to fish with nets in the Sudania area in northern Gaza, or the Sheikh Ajlin area and the beach camp in the west, depending on the movement of the winds and the availability of fish. , And this season begins in the summer until the end of November ». And he indicates that he caught different types of fish, while practicing the hobby of fishing with nets, including: tarragon, mullet, denis and beloved.
Hook
The hobby of fishing in Gaza inherited it from grandparents and parents, or it grew with them as a result of their residence near the seashore and directly adjacent to it, while the capabilities of these young people vary, as there is a type that fish using the hook from the top of the rocks scattered on the beach, or inside the fishermen's port west of Gaza, to enjoy at the end A hard and enjoyable day with an abundant income
A tale of passion
The young Amjad Abu Sultan, who loves fishing with the hook, has a story of a daily passion with fishing, as he spends long hours on the seashore, until fishing became a part of his daily life, through which he combines bringing livelihood and practicing their personal hobby.
Young Amjad says: “I did not succumb to the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, and I did not accept to be an added figure in unemployment rates, so I relied on myself and my hobby in fishing, as I go daily to the beach with the hook, to spend long hours, during which God blesses me with what is available. Of tarragon fish, nettles, chickpeas, nettles, and scoops ».
He added, "What I make is a source of daily income, and according to the quantities of fish that I catch, the need for it. If there is a lot, I sell it in the market, to save money that helps me cope with life's distress, and if it is few, then it is a daily meal for the family."
The Israeli occupation restricts the fishing area in front of the fishermen's boats to a distance of 6 nautical miles.