Sudanese fishermen on the Nile, who have seen their fish stocks plummet as a result of both climate change and government-made dams, say their industry is being neglected – with some forced to find other jobs in order to feed their families.
“In recent years, the fish stocks have reduced, and many fishermen have abandoned the profession due to the conditions related to the changing climate of the Nile, the dams established by the government and lack of water,” says Gasim Sajour, 40, who has spent most of his life fishing on the Nile.
“In the past, we used to fish 200-300 kilos of fish per a day, which was sufficient and profitable, but this work now gives little return due to the natural conditions on the Nile,” he says, adding that the government-created dams do not help.
Making things even more difficult are expensive boat rentals, which cost around 10,000 Sudanese pounds (€20). For fisherman Sajour, this means he does not have enough money to cover his operations and feed his family of six.
Most of the fishermen on the Nile use wooden and motor-powered boats and rely on traditional equipment such as nets, long lines and hooks.