When we talk about the sea in Bahrain, we are not talking about just a natural resource, but rather about memory, identity and history. The sea was and still is a source of livelihood, a space for life, and a school for patience and joy. But with the passage of time and the circumstances changed, the marine wealth has become threatened with attrition, and the Bahraini fisherman found himself strange in his profession, which he inherited from parents and grandparents.
Today, with the entry of the decision of the “Bahraini fisherman” in force, I feel that Bahrain has started writing a new chapter in the relationship of the sea with its people.
The most beautiful thing about this decision is that it restores the Bahraini fisherman, and places it at the heart of the process. His name is no longer used as a legal cover for hunting illegally, and his presence is no longer formally. Today, the license is personally, linked to the fisherman itself, does not accept concession or transportation. This is a step that protects the profession from manipulation, and restores its value to its real owner.
Sometimes we heard complaints that the sea was no longer the same, and that the fish became less, and that hunting no longer covered the effort made. The truth is that the reason was the absence of the organization, and the absence of awareness that the sea does not give without limits. This decision is the limits of the numbers of fishermen and the crew on each ship is not a narrowing, but rather a protection of the profession from extinction. It is a thinking tomorrow, not in rapid gains.
What I also like is that the decision is not limited to the interest of the hunter alone, but rather serves the whole society. The sea is a source of food, and food security is a global challenge of no less important than any other economic challenge. When we maintain our marine resources, we guarantee our children tomorrow more secure and healthy.
I will not hide that the decision alone is not enough, as the real battle is to change culture. We must all believe that the sea is a partner that must be respected, no looting is drained. But what comes to hope is that the state has started to move in the right direction, and opens the door for a real partnership with fishermen, not just imposing laws on them.
I see that the “Bahraini fisherman’s license” is not just a paper extracted through an electronic portal, but rather a clear message: the sea for Bahrainis, sustainability before attrition, and the profession is a legacy that must continue. The beginning may be difficult for some fishermen, but it is the right beginning. As we taught the sea to be patient, it will also inform us that the real fruits come only with time.
