Gaza Herald_ Official figures have revealed the complete collapse of Gaza’s fishing sector by 100 percent, as a result of Israel’s ongoing war and the enforced naval blockade. The sea, once a lifeline for thousands of families, has been turned into an open killing zone for fishermen.
According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, around 4,000 fishermen supported nearly 50,000 people before the war. Today, fishing has become a daily life-or-death gamble. At least 238 fishermen have been killed, while some 450 others have been wounded or detained. Fishing boats and facilities have also suffered extensive destruction.
Footage broadcast by Al Jazeera shows the scale of devastation to boats, fishing infrastructure, and fish farms. Israeli forces continue to open fire on fishermen who approach to within one nautical mile of the shore, while boats are confiscated and nets and equipment are deliberately destroyed.
The current collapse is not limited to the latest phase of the war. Gaza has been under a naval blockade for more than 18 years, but the two years of full-scale war have brought fishing production to a near standstill. Direct losses to the agricultural and fishing sectors are estimated at $2.8 billion.
In the markets of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, the impact is clearly visible. Frozen and chilled fish are now sold as substitutes for Gaza’s once-abundant fresh catch. Some of these imports are allowed in only through special coordination and at additional cost, and are limited to specific types.
At the same time, the severe decline in purchasing power among hundreds of thousands of Palestinians has made fish unaffordable for most families, even during periods when small quantities are available.
A related interactive map presented by journalist Salam Khader illustrates the drastic shrinkage of Gaza’s permitted fishing zone. While the Oslo Accords stipulated a fishing area extending 20 nautical miles, this was reduced to six miles after 2006, and even less following October 2023. At times, fishermen were restricted to waters no deeper than three kilometers, before the current limit was set at just 800 meters from the shore.
According to UN reports, fishing in such confined waters directly reduces fish size and availability. Meanwhile, Gaza’s port has been repeatedly attacked, leaving it almost destroyed.
Zakaria Bakr, head of the Fishermen’s Committees, said the fishing area is effectively “zero miles”, describing the sea as practically closed. He noted that some fishermen still risk their lives using small boats within 800 meters of the shore, an area where more than 67 fishermen have been killed alone.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Bakr said the plight of fishermen is absent from all agreements and official committees, with no serious initiatives underway to rescue the sector. He warned that continued targeting of boats and the lack of support threaten to erase fishing from Gaza.
These developments come amid Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, wounded over 171,000, and destroyed around 90 percent of civilian infrastructure, leaving livelihoods, food security, and an entire way of life in ruins.
