Fishermen protest imports flooding the local market

750 tons of fish enter port every two days

Fishermen in Tripoli port have protested against the unregulated importation of fish, which, they said, has severely damaged their business. Ahmad Akra, representative of the cooperative of fishermen said: “Due to turmoil in Syria, imports are coming to Lebanon instead.” The current import operations are not subject to customs fees.

The Syndicate of Fishermen in the North threatened to take escalatory steps if the pertinent measures were not adopted by the government.

Akra said: “Before the outbreak of armed conflicts in Syria, three refrigerated containers used to arrive at the port each week, while today, 15 containers are being admitted every two days.” A refrigerated container carries up to 50 tons of fish.

According to Akra, 20 kilos of fish would cost the fishermen going out to sea around $100. The fishermen called on the government to limit imports, prevent flooding, and only allow imports of fish that are not available in the local market.