Warnings to Shut Down Tripoli Port and Beirut Highway if State Ignores Fishermen's Demands

Fishermen in the north held a warning sit-in at the Tripoli port – Al-Mina, at the invitation of the Fishermen's Union headed by union president Mustafa Anous, with the participation of the head of the Federation of Workers' and Employees' Unions in North Lebanon Shadi Al-Sayed, the Imam of Al-Mina city Sheikh Sami Malak, and a number of local dignitaries.

In a statement issued by the fishermen, the reasons for the protest are multiple, such as "official neglect and lack of support, suffering from inflation and rising diesel prices, in addition to the crime of dynamite fishing which threatens marine wealth and the livelihoods of thousands of families."

They demanded immediate support for diesel allocated to fishermen, exemption of fishing equipment from taxes and customs duties, urgent security action to stop overfishing, along with the presence of a government official to listen directly to their demands, stressing that this move is a first step and escalation will continue if there is no response.

Anous indicated that today's stand-in and warning sit-in come after repeatedly raising voices and sending messages to the Minister of Agriculture who did not respond to any of the calls from fishermen in Al-Mina.

He noted that the crisis is worsening, and fishermen in the city are facing hunger while the price of a canister of diesel has reached 32 dollars, and the equipment used by fishermen also has high prices; for example, items globally priced at two or three dollars cost 30 dollars in Lebanon.

He said: "The Minister of Agriculture who always cared about fishermen's issues in the mountains never cares about the issues of coastal fishermen. Therefore, we demand that he pay attention or assign someone to take on this task, so he focuses on the mountains and others focus on coastal fishermen," hinting at further mobilization until demands are met.

Al-Sayed said: "We are proceeding towards shutting down the Tripoli port; no one will be allowed to enter it until fishermen get their rights. Also, we will proceed to close the Beirut highway until the state recognizes our rights. We obtained rights for public transport drivers—buses, taxis, and minibuses—worth 12 million monthly as support for gasoline or diesel. These fishermen should also receive support, even greater than ours, because there are 2,100 families in Al-Mina living from this profession."

He addressed the Minister of Agriculture: "You only make promises in Tripoli. We are heading towards escalation. And Mr. President of the Republic and the Government, the fishermen are your children and they have gone hungry. If we take any step or close the port, let no one blame us."