Iran fishermen venture back to Hormuz despite fears of new fighting
ABOARD his boat moored along the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian fisherman Mohammad-Amin mended a torn fishing net after a long day in waters that have long sustained his livelihood, but are now shadowed by the threat of death.
A 47-year-old Iranian fisherman named Mohammad-Amin returned to the Strait of Hormuz after a more than three-month hiatus, despite the continued threat of violence. His livelihood had been disrupted during months of fighting between Iran and the United States. He expressed concern that his small boat, anchored alongside many others in Bandar Abbas, could be destroyed by strikes and that his family would face starvation without fishing.
During the conflict, nearly a dozen fishermen were killed and 17 others went missing. The waterfront in Bandar Abbas, where fishermen store their boats, had been hit during the fighting and many fishing and trade boats were damaged. The fishermen told AFP that they had been waiting for the opportunity to return to sea and that they could no longer afford to wait.
The war has also made it more common for nets to become tangled on war debris in the sea, forcing fishermen to replace equipment more frequently. The future of the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain as Iran maintains control of the waterway and negotiates with other countries.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
