Fishermen who once caught fish along the coast of the Gaza Strip but who can no longer fish on the open sea due to a blockade by Israel have turned to smuggling in fish from Egyptian waters and growing their own fish in fish ponds.
Cut off from plentiful fishing grounds by Israeli patrol boats, some fishermen have turned to sneaking into Egyptian waters in tiny motorboats to buy their catch and bring it home.
Others bring in fish by land, in ice-packed plastic foam boxes pulled through smuggling tunnels in Rafah crossing from Egypt.
And even though the Mediterranean is right on Gaza's doorstep, locals are creating fish ponds to provide Gaza's 1.5 million people with their key source of protein.
One Palestinian fisherman said it is a dangerous occupation that has brought him close to death several times and he blames the Israelis for not allowing him to fish.
Gaza's 3,600 fishermen are not allowed to go out further than three nautical miles and they risk coming under fire form israeli gunboats if they cross the line.
Gazans are facing critical shortages of electricity, fuel and other supplies and many have turned to smuggling to bring in commercial goods.
The blockade has evoked intense international criticism, but Israel justifies it by claiming that supplies to Gaza could end up in the hands of militants.
Ebru News
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Gazan Fishermen Import Egyptian Fish
02
Mar
2010
Mar
2010
Ebru TV