MOGADISHU Somalia (Xinhua)Casting his eyes into the blue calm waters of the Indian Ocean, Aweys Mohamed Nor knows too well that in no time his men will be making way to the shores with another catch, adding another day to his over two decades fishing experience.
Hamarweyne is an ancient Arab market dating back hundreds of years and the cultural and architectural designs of Arab traders dot the area, though many were destroyed during the war in Somalia.
But one thing stands out in Hamarweyne market, just two kilometres away from Mogadishu-fishing.
Nor has been in this trade for over two decades and still going perhaps driven by his father’s determination which saw him spend much of his life taking into the waters for fish.
Nor said fishing is his only lifeline and he has not known any other trade but fishing.
“For over 20 years now, I have been making trips into the water every day.
“I learned the skill from my father who was an equally good fisherman.
“When I came of age, I joined him as he went fishing at night,” Nor recalls as he helps his men pull the boat offshore.
“I have six men who work for me and I have given them two boats.
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“They start their work in the evening and come back in the morning. We don’t fish during the day, because the fish go dip into the ocean.
“But at night they come up,” Nor told Xinhua on Sunday.
But Nor does not go fishing anymore.
He said age is catching up with him and has thus handed the button to his sons and some other men.
His work now is to get the fish from the boat and with other men carry to the market which is just within the shores.
About the returns, Nor sounds a happy man.
He said the cost of fish has gone up, thanks to the increasing demand as result of upcoming restaurants in the city.
“A kilogram of fish went for five dollars last year but it has now shot up to seven.
“I hope this trend is maintained and even higher,” noted Nor.
Another fisherman, Mohamed Ibrahim, shares a similar story with Nor.
He has been in the business for as much as he can remember in his lifetime.
“I started this business when I was 15 years old and am now 50. I know the Indian Ocean waters like the back of my hand,” said Ibrahim.
Asked whether he stopped during the war, Ibrahim said his business was a priority just like warlords thought war was for them.
“I kept on fishing even when gunfire and bombs were the order of the day. People must eat.
“Even the gun wielding man needs food, so I just had to ensure there was fish every day for my customers and my family,” Ibhrahim jokingly said as he loads his wheelbarrow with fish.
The changing cultural preferences among the Somali people has seen fish business mainstreamed in Mogadishu.
“Somalis are traditional beef consumers, but they are now discovering that fish can be equally good.
“I make 20 dollars a day, ” said Mohamed Omar Yahye, a fishmonger in Hamarweyne market.
This, Yahye said, has helped him meet his family needs without having to look for other sources of income.
The improved state of security and influx of Somali Diaspora has contributed to growth of business in Mogadishu among them fish business.
Despite the lack of fish processing plants, the fish industry is significantly gaining traction in Mogadishu and will in future be a key economic sub sector.
