Aswan Governor Mustafa el-Sayid has decided to impose a one-month fishing ban on Lake Nasser beginning Friday. The ban also applies to all boats working in the ports of Aswan, Abu Simbel and Garf Hussein and is an opportunity for the lake's fish to repopulate the lake. The governorate will also stop collecting fees from fishermen and fishermen associations. Previously, fishermen had to pay LE380 per ton of fish, and LE7 for each can of salted fish, the money from which went to protect and develop Egypt's water resources. To help repopulate the lake, the government released 30 million Nile minnows into the lake. In related news, 3000 fishermen are demanding that the government delay implementation of a decree that forbids fishing in the Mediterranean Sea from 1 May to the middle of June. The decree was issued by Agricultural Minister Amin Abaza to allow the Mediterranean's fish stock to replenish. The fishermen argue that the decree has eliminated the sole source of income available to them. "The decision to forbid fishing is unjust as it threatens our livelihoods. A delay in the implementation of the decision is beneficial from several angles, as it allows us to get what we need from the sea before the ban takes effect," said Mohamed el-Sawirki, 47, a boat owner. In related news, approximately 15,000 Red Sea fishermen from Sennar asked Minister Abaza to issue an exemption for fishing with hooks, suggesting that this type of fishing has little effect on fish stocks. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
