Publish Date: Wednesday,22 August, 2007, at 02:06 AM Doha Time
Workers remove fishing traps set up in Al Malkiya on the outskirts of Manama yesterday
MANAMA: Fishermen in a Shia village in Bahrain who were in danger of losing their livelihood in a row with a royal family member celebrated yesterday after the king intervened on their behalf.
The long-running feud centred around traps belonging to a cousin of the monarch that had been laid in coastal waters and prevented access to fishing grounds for local fishermen.
“Had it not been for pressure from residents, these illegal fish traps would not have been removed,” said one of scores of residents of Al Malkiya vilage as he watched workers remove the traps set up by the royal relative.
Publish Date: Wednesday,22 August, 2007, at 02:06 AM Doha Time
Workers remove fishing traps set up in Al Malkiya on the outskirts of Manama yesterday
MANAMA: Fishermen in a Shia village in Bahrain who were in danger of losing their livelihood in a row with a royal family member celebrated yesterday after the king intervened on their behalf.
The long-running feud centred around traps belonging to a cousin of the monarch that had been laid in coastal waters and prevented access to fishing grounds for local fishermen.
“Had it not been for pressure from residents, these illegal fish traps would not have been removed,” said one of scores of residents of Al Malkiya vilage as he watched workers remove the traps set up by the royal relative.
The fishermen’s anger boiled over on Sunday and they tried to remove the traps themselves, sparking clashes with police in the village south of the capital Manama.
King Hamad, who is currently in London, stepped in to defuse the row and ordered the removal of his cousin’s fish traps, Yousef al-Boori, a senior local government official, said on Monday.
“We hope the problem has been resolved. The coast must be accessible to all—it belongs to all,” said Hassan Ahmed Ali, a 55-year-old fisherman.
The conflict between the villagers and the king’s relative first erupted in 2005 when he built a 2km wall along the coast that hampered the fishermen’s access to fishing grounds.
The move triggered street protests during which police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators. The king also stepped in to settle that row, and the wall was demolished.
Al-Wasat, a newspaper edited by Mansur al-Jamri, a Shia former opposition leader who returned to Bahrain from exile in Britain in late 2001, yesterday hailed the king’s intervention on behalf of the poor fishermen.
“Al Malkiya’s victory is a victory for law and rights,” the paper headlined.
“Al Malkiya’s residents won because they insisted on their rights and demanded that the law applies to all… This is not a transient event, but one that will remain engraved in the people’s memory,” wrote one of the daily’s columnists.
“Congratulations to the heroes of Al Malkiya. This is a historic day,” one resident enthused on the village’s website. – AFP
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