Ground report: Boats idle, no income as war hits Lebanese fishermen hard

Fishermen in south Lebanon's Tyre are facing immense financial hardship. The ongoing Israeli strikes and security curbs have cut them off from the sea, their only source of livelihood.

Along Lebanon’s southern coastline, fishing has long been more than just a source of income — it is a way of life passed down through generations. Today, however, that tradition is under serious threat as the ongoing conflict in the middle East disrupts access to the Mediterranean Sea, leaving hundreds of families in uncertainty.

From Saida to Naqoura, nearly 1,500 fishermen depend on the sea for their daily livelihood, according to local syndicate estimates. In the coastal city of Tyre alone, around 180 registered boats once headed out at dawn, supplying fresh fish to markets across the region. In Saida, more than 450 families rely entirely on fishing as their primary source of income.

But now, many of those boats remain docked. Fishing grinds to a halt due to Israeli strikes in south Lebanon. (India Today photo)

Ali, a local fisherman, says the situation has drastically changed in the last few weeks. "We used to go out every morning. The sea was our life," he explains. "Now, we just wait and hope things will change."

The disruption comes after Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war due to the Iran-backed Hezbollah firing rockets and drones into Israel on March 2. This triggered heavy Israeli bombardment across the country. Ali, a local fisherman, is struggling to make ends meet due to the disruption. (India Today photo)

Israeli strikes have since killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon and displaced over a million, according to Lebanese authorities. The conflict has compounded the economic strain on already vulnerable coastal communities.