Right-hand shape
After the issuance of Resolution No. (4) of 2025 regulating the Bahraini fisherman’s license to practice commercial marine fishing, last February, which activates the Bahraini Fisherman’s Law and requires the presence of a Bahraini fisherman on the ship, the decision went through several stages, reaching the postponement of its activation until today, so that the fishermen were given a final deadline ending on October 28 of this year, to settle their situations before implementing the decision, that is, after 16 days, at a time when sailors confirmed that the worker The Asian reaps huge profits for a license fee of 200 dinars.
On February 27, the Supreme Council for the Environment issued Resolution No. (4) of 2025 regulating the licensing of Bahraini fishermen to practice commercial marine fishing, the text of which was: Based on:
• Decree Law No. (20) of 2002 regulating fishing, exploitation and protection of marine wealth.
• Decree Law No. (45) of 2012, as amended.
• Decree Law No. (32) of 2020 regarding registration, safety and control rules for small vessels.
• Decree Law No. (15) of 2023, amended.
• Presentation by the CEO of the Supreme Council for the Environment.
Article (1):
Definitions:
• The competent department: the department concerned with marine wealth affairs in the executive branch of the Supreme Council for the Environment.
• Employer: The person who holds a commercial fishing license using fishing vessels in accordance with the provisions of Article (6) of Decree Law No. (20) of 2002.
• Bahraini fisherman: every person licensed by the competent department to extract marine wealth using fishing vessels within the territorial waters of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and who works within the employer’s license.
Article (2):
A Bahraini fisherman must be present on board a commercial marine fishing vessel.
Article (3):
Conditions for issuing a Bahraini fisherman’s license:
1. He must be of Bahraini nationality.
2. He must not be less than 18 years old.
3. He must prove his fitness to practice marine fishing.
4. He must not have previously been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving breach of honor or trust.
Article (4):
The license or renewal application shall be submitted to the competent department by the employer or his representative, within 15 days from the date of its submission, according to the form prepared for this purpose.
Article (5):
The Bahraini fisherman is prohibited from working for any employer other than that stated in his license.
Article (6):
The license period is one year, and it may be renewed under the same conditions and procedures.
Article (7):
The license may not be assigned or transferred to others, and the license must be presented upon request from the relevant authorities.
Article (8):
The number of Bahraini fishermen on board the ship is calculated according to its length, as shown in the accompanying table.
Article (9):
Anyone who violates the provisions of this decision shall be punished with the penalties stipulated in Decree Law No. (20) of 2002.
Article (10):
Every text that conflicts with the provisions of this decision shall be cancelled.
Article (11):
The CEO of the Supreme Council for the Environment implements this decision, and it will come into effect 6 months after the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
After the decision was issued, a group of sailors tried to find a way out of their compulsory presence on boats with Asian workers. They presented sick certificates stating their inability to go on the sea, and that others were over sixty years old and unable to practice the profession, leaving the sea to the Asians again.
Professionals who returned to their boats were happy with this decision that combats the Asian labor mafia that took control of the sea and swept away its resources. The head of the Galali Fishermen’s Association, Muhammad Al-Dakhil, confirmed that all his colleagues were happy with this decision, which was reflected on the faces of the sailors.
He said: “Today we see the return of fishermen to the sea and we feel relief. Types of Bahraini fish that disappeared a long time ago have begun to appear in the markets, such as mead, sha’im, thiq and many types that have become close to swordfish.”
The sailor, Hamid Issa, recounted his suffering with the theft of the garagir, saying: “I used to put the garagir and when I came back I would not find it in its place and it had disappeared, and I am certain that the Asian workers were the ones who stole it, but today it is preserved because the owners of the sea know each other, and they know who the garagir belongs to. As for fish, it has witnessed a decline in prices, after the net prices in recent years reached 8 dinars, and today they have begun to decrease. We will see more goodness in the future when the law is implemented.”
Grace period
The sailor, Saleh Bahr, pointed out the grace period granted to fishermen, which is scheduled to end on October 28, saying that some fishermen have requested exceptions; Due to their health conditions and ages, the Marine Corps granted them until last September 28, so they returned and asked to extend it for an additional month in order to arrange their conditions. They submitted medical reports stating that they suffer from chronic diseases, and that they are over sixty and cannot work.
Saleh added, “The fishermen had an opportunity since the announcement of the implementation of the decision eight months ago, but a large percentage of them are trying to evade it with these medical certificates.”
Why does the Bahraini refuse to hunt by himself?
The sailor Khaled Al-Harmes, who is over sixty years old, had previously relied on Asian workers and took 200 dinars as a monthly wage from them in exchange for the license. When the decision was issued, he adhered to it and went down with the workers again to discover that he was being exploited to the extreme, as his profit was supposed to exceed 1,600 dinars. He said: “Despite my advanced age, I will not leave the sea to the workers who earn from it many times what they pay for renting the license.”
Asian rented 46 license and protected by Body Guards
Ibrahim Al-Harmes explained that a person wants to earn without putting in effort, pointing out that this is the problem of sailors who are accustomed to comfort and rent out licenses. One of the Asians known to the sailors today owns 46 fishing licenses rented from fishermen.
He added, “We were returning a friend of ours who was sick, and our visit coincided with the arrival of this Asian at that time to give him the fee for the license. He was wearing gold rings on his fingers, and walking with him, ‘Body Guard,’ and everyone knew him because he was the only person that fish companies dealt with. If a sailor tried to supply his catch to the company, the response would be that dealing was through this Asian.”
The sailor, Ahmed Ali, estimated this Asian’s earnings from those rented licenses, as he pays the license holder 200 dinars, and the cost of labor wages does not exceed 800 dinars, while diesel costs him 300 dinars, so the total cost is 1,300 dinars, while his monthly profits range 2,000 dinars, and he said: His net gains from one license will be approximately 700 dinars, and therefore his gains from 46 licenses exceed 30 thousand dinars, and for this reason You find him wearing gold rings, and walking with a special guard.
He added: The calamity is that some Asians are late in paying the monthly rent to the license holder, so they give one month and deny another month despite the huge gains, and the license holder has nothing to do with it because he left what he permitted to the stranger.
600 dinars for the Bahraini on the boat
The sailor, Nayef Bahr, explained that he is currently seeking to complete the procedures for authorizing his son to work on the boat in his place, and suggested allowing the Bahraini fisherman to authorize another of his relatives or even any Bahraini person to be present on the boat with the Asian workers.
He explained that one of the license tenants offered to give the Bahraini 600 dinars per month so that he could be on the boat without interfering with what they were doing, so that he could continue plundering the sea’s bounties and bypassing the law.
Muhammad Al-Dakhil returned to explain another problem, which is that these Asian workers will refuse to work if the license holder is present on the cruiser. He said: “They are reaping imaginary profits, and if the decision is implemented, they will refrain from working and threaten to travel.”
