Fujairah’s fishermen call for improved safety and capacity at main port

Injured fisherman joins voices raising safety concerns and calls for repairs at Al Rugaylat Fishermen’s Port, Fujairah.

Rashid Al Oubad says poor maintenance at Al Rugaylat Fishermen’s Port is leading to accidents. Reem Mohammed / The National

FUJAIRAH // Fishermen have claimed that their port in Fujairah is not fit for purpose – that unsafe walkways cause frequent accidents and skippers struggle to find mooring spots for their boats.

A 53-year-old fisherman with 30 years’ experience said he was injured recently at a poorly maintained bridge that leads to the dock at Al Rugaylat Fishermen’s Port.

“I was going to the dock early in the morning when I slipped on the bridge,” said Rashid Al Oubad. “I had severe injuries in my right leg and all of my things, including mobiles [phones] dropped into the sea.

“I was treated in the hospital and it took me one month to get back on my feet and start fishing again. The surgery didn’t cost me anything because the Government took care of it, but I suffered financially and didn’t have any source of income during that period.”

He said: “The bridge needs to be repaired. This is the second time I slipped and injured myself.

“It’s not only dangerous to us, it also threatens the safety of the port’s visitors and tourists.”

Abdullah Saeed, 62, a fisherman for 20 years, said: “Going up and down the bent bridge is not an easy process, especially if you are carrying fish boxes or pushing a 200-kilogram trolley.

“So many men have been injured because of it and somebody should solve the problem immediately, before there are more incidents.”

According to Mr Saeed, since the port was built in 2010 the number of boats had increased and their sizes had changed – leading to further problems.

“When they first constructed the port they made all the docks and mooring for boats that don’t exceed 27 feet in width, but now we have boats of 30 feet in width that take the space of two, and the rest of the boats are kept without any place to be docked in.”

Salem Obaid, manager of the Fujairah Fishermen’s Association, has also raised concerns from members about the lack of safety at the emirate’s main fishing port.

“When the tide lowers and the sea leaves, it becomes very difficult for fishermen to reach their boats or even sail them outside the port.

“The bridge that allows the fishermen to access the port becomes a slope during the low tide, and many men have slipped and injured themselves.”

Mr Obaid added that getting boats in and out of the fishing port had become difficult because of the shallow water caused by low tides.

“The boats can also get stuck in the sand and this causes serious damage to the engine and disrupts the sailing journey. This delay would definitely affect the fishermen’s work process and cause financial loss,” he said.

The fishermen also said there were not enough docking spaces to meet demand.

“We have almost 30 boats with no place to moor them. Either they wait for someone to take off and use their berth, or they pull their boats out of the water. Both solutions are considered time-consuming,” said Mr Obaid.

The fishermen’s association has filed several requests about the issues to the Ministry of Public Works, but was still waiting for action to be taken.

The ministry could not be reached for comment.