The Bahraini Cabinet has emphasized the importance of restoring mutual fishing rights between the Kingdom and the State of Qatar in line with fair practice observed and respected by seafarers of successive generations.
The government held its weekly meeting remotely on Monday, chaired by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, during which it stressed the importance of restoring mutual fishing rights whereby Qatar permits Bahrainis to fish to the Qatari-UAE border, in return for Bahrain permitting Qataris to fish at the Bahraini-Saudi border.
The cabinet highlighted, in a statement carried by the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the importance of direct negotiations with Qatar to reach a lasting agreement allowing fishermen and seafarers of both countries to practice their activities in a way that benefits citizens of both countries and enhances Gulf cooperation.
In line with Royal directives, the cabinet also issued instructions to relevant entities in the Kingdom of Bahrain to compensate fishermen affected by the actions taken by Qatari authorities against them.
In the same context, the kingdom's Coast Guard Commander, Major-General Alaa Siyadi, revealed that Qatar is still holding 47 Bahraini fishing boats to date.
He added that Qatar detained about 650 boats and 2,153 persons carrying the official Bahraini IDs in the last ten years.
Siyadi explained that the Coast Guard began receiving complaints from fishermen who were arrested by Doha to take appropriate legal measures.
Qatar’s actions have affected the fishermen by damaging their boats and income.
