Extract from OCHA weekly report 18 – 24 March 2009 published on the 26th of March
One Palestinian fisherman was injured at
sea, when an Israeli patrol boat opened-fire
towards his boat. In another incident, five
fishermen were arrested by Israeli forces
while at sea. Since the implementation of
the ceasefires on 18 January 2009, a weekly
average of one Palestinian has been killed
and four Palestinians have been injured.
Incidents involving fishermen are part of
Israel’s ban on access of Palestinians to sea
areas beyond three nautical miles from the
shore, down from six nautical miles prior to
Israel’s “Cast Lead” offensive. This ban
impacts the catching of sardines, the bulk of
which are located beyond 12 nautical miles.
The livelihood of 3,000 fishermen and their
families is severely undermined, along with
a reduction in the availability of affordable
animal protein.
