Fishermen in Gaza risk their lives in shrinking sea area

Gaza's fishermen, once reliant on the sea as their primary source of livelihood, now face a deadly struggle for survival amid ongoing conflict and relentless restrictions.

Wearing little more than basic gear, Abdul Kanan, a local fisherman lives on fishing with his modest wooden boat. Amid current tension in the harsh winter, he knows the risks he faces but has no choice.

"Fishing is our only profession, something we've inherited from our ancestors. We risk our lives just to make ends meet," he said.

Kanan's boat, a traditional wooden vessel known as a "hasaka," is small and fragile, capable of venturing only a few hundred meters from shore. With the engines on most fishing boats destroyed in previous conflicts, these simple crafts have become the sole option for many fishermen. Winter's rough seas and strong winds even pose constant threats of capsizing.

Even more dangerous, however, are the ever-present Israeli naval patrols. Before the latest escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, fishermen in Gaza were limited to a narrow fishing zone capped at 20 nautical miles from shore. Now, the entire area is under an Israeli blockade, confining fishermen to shallow waters just a few hundred meters from the coast.

"In recent Israeli aggression towards Gaza, many fishermen have been arrested. We've lost so many young fishermen who were the backbone of their families. One time, while we were pulling in our nets, an Israeli gunboat suddenly appeared near us and opened fire at us. If it weren't for Allah's blessing, we might have died. We quickly drove our small boat to escape. Our boat was hit then. Water rushed in and the boat began to sink when we were trying to reach the seashore. We had to swim back. After the Israeli gunboat left, we towed the boat back," said the fisherman.

Hours at sea could only bring Kanan just a handful of small fish. Yet this is all his family of over a dozen people has to survive on.

According to Gaza's agriculture department, the ongoing conflict has led to a loss of approximately 4,600 tons of fish production in the past year alone, resulting in economic losses exceeding 20 million U.S. dollars.

The devastation has also sent fish prices skyrocketing. Once a staple for Gaza's residents, fish has become a luxury few can afford. The price of common fish varieties has climbed to 100 shekels per kilogram (27 U.S. dollars), while premium fish can cost as much as 200 shekels per kilogram (55 U.S. dollars).

For the majority of Gaza's population, already struggling with poverty, fish is now out of reach. Even fishermen like Abdul find themselves unable to afford the very product they risk their lives to catch.

"Before the conflict, fish prices were somewhat reasonable. But now, the attacks have led to reduced supply, thus prices have become outrageous. Most people can't afford fish anymore, not even us fishermen. Fish is as expensive as gold now," Kanan said.

The challenges go beyond rising fish prices. The cost of fishing equipment, particularly nets, has soared due to the blockade and lack of supplies. A fishing net is now ten times more expensive than it used to be.

"In the past, a small fishing net cost 200 shekels, and fishermen complained that it was too expensive. But due to the war, the price is 2,000 shekels now," said Kanan.

According to data, Gaza once had around 5,000 active fishermen. However, years of conflict, displacement, and economic hardship have forced the majority out of the trade.

Fishermen in Gaza risk their lives in shrinking sea area

A 25 percent import tariff on all foreign-built vehicles entering the United States has raised serious concerns for manufacturers in South Africa.

Automotive giants like Mercedes and BMW have long used South Africa as a base for global exports -- but those plans may be shifting into reverse gear after the U.S. announced the punitive measures.

"If you take, for example, BMW, 97 percent of the X3 that we are producing in Rosslyn is exported out of the country. We only sell 3 percent in South Africa, and there's a huge number of those vehicles that also go into the U.S. So there are companies in South Africa that are purely here not because they are selling vehicles in South Africa; they are here to produce vehicles for the global market, and it's important for them to remain globally competitive," said Mike Mabasa, CEO of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa.

U.S. automaker Ford, which has deep roots in South Africa, is also in the crosshairs.

The company recently invested over 300 million U.S. dollars to upgrade its Silverton plant in Pretoria, South Africa, for the production of the world's only plug-in hybrid Ranger, which has just entered production but could face delays or restrictions.

"If an American citizen wants to buy specifically a Ford Ranger that is a plug-in hybrid, they can only place an order in South Africa, nowhere else in the world. So, that means, obviously, the capacity of Ford to be able to produce those vehicles in big volumes is going to be constrained, because Americans are going be looking at another Ford that is produced in another country, or even in the United States," said Mabasa.

South Africa has long enjoyed duty-free automotive exports to the U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, but that relationship now hangs in the balance.

A sharp shift in U.S. foreign policy threatens to derail an industry that employs thousands and contributes around 5 percent to the country's economy.

"We produce less than 1 percent of global automotive vehicles, so to say. So, in reality, the impact on us is likely to be more disproportionate than those of our peers that produce at the same level. And the risk is actually created -- a concentration risk -- in countries that have greater capacity and are building more; in those countries will be able to absorb some of this," said Parks Tau, South Africa's minister of trade and industry.

Amid growing concerns about overreliance on the U.S. market, Amith Singh, national manager for manufacturing at Nedbank Commercial Bank, emphasized the importance of tapping into regional trade opportunities.

"I think we need to make better use of some of our local agreements, our African continental agreements. How do we leverage that? How do we partner with the government and private sector to start benefiting the countries and the economies aside from the United States? So, those could be the catalyst to drive our localization projects; it could be what we need to drive the African economy as opposed to being completely reliant on the States (United States)," he said.

South Africa is for now standing firm in its decision not to retaliate against steep U.S. import tariffs, set to take effect in just a few days.

Officials in Pretoria acknowledge the challenges posed by the current U.S. administration but are pursuing a diplomatic approach in hopes of maintaining stable relations and preserving the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

US tariffs rock South Africa’s auto industry