From his 'historic' vantage point atop the rocks of Marine Research Beach, 55-year-old fisherman Ahmed Issa cast his line. Earlier this month, his hook snagged a piece of the past: a sand steenbras (locally known as sand lick). For a man who has watched the sea change for 30 years, this was no ordinary catch; it was a rare return of a species that had long since faded into memory. The fish - measuring over 30 cm and weighing nearly a kilo - flashed its distinctive dark bands, a sight Abu Maryam (as his colleagues call him) had never encountered at this spot. After a fleeting moment of hesitation and pure astonishment, a wave of joy took over. As he hoisted the catch, the fish’s silver scales caught the light, sparkling brilliantly under the sun.
Ahmed considered this "catch" a good omen; it was not a livelihood for a single day but rather a message from the sea: "if humans abandon their dirty practices towards the sea, they will be able to give again and again". News of the fish, which many thought was extinct, spread among the crowds of fishermen who worked hard every day on the break (the rock barrier on the beach) with overwhelming joy.
The sand steenbras usually migrate to deeper water by November, making Ahmed’s shallow-water catch highly unusual. However, this biological deviation is a point of interest, potentially signaling an early stage of environmental recovery in the region’s marine life.
Signs of marine life returning
For Ahmed, that one fish was just the beginning. After ten years of seeing the sea’s resources systematically dismantled, the tide is finally turning. A year after the regime’s collapse, and with the retreat of the unfair practices that once hounded its waters, the Syrian coast is breathing again, showing the first true signs that life is reclaiming the shore.
The landscape has started to change over the past ten months. The destructive practices stopped and fishing operations were regulated, and so tangible signs of recovery were observed. "We started seeing species of fish that we hadn't seen in years", Issa says. Among these species that have reappeared are: Al-Gharifa, Al-Mulaifah, Al-Ghabas, Al-Afi, and Al-Bazar. Sardine fish have also reappeared near the beach after a long absence.
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A new chapter is being written in the Syrian Sea as fishermen observe signs of a returning world. From the striking sight of rare parrotfish and tuna to the arrival of 'al-abarat' - the local name for the floating plankton that anchors the food chain - the sea is teeming once more. Even the humble mollusks have returned to the seabed, providing the essential sustenance needed for the zaliq and other fish are finally being spotted again.
“The absence of dynamite has brought fish back to waters they avoided for years,” Issa explains, noting a visible shift in diversity. He points to a new era of order; government licenses have replaced the old lawlessness, pushing out the destructive trawlers and those who used explosives. A key turning point was the ban on ‘shambrinat’- floating inner tubes - near the beaches, a move that has finally given the shoreline’s ecosystem the breathing room it needs to heal.
Previously, destructive fishing operations were carried out by boats supported by the former security authorities, using nets in ports and imposing restrictions on the use of traditional boats, which led to a decline in legal commercial fishing. But today's fishermen are seeing improvement, evidenced by the photos they take of fish caught in a single day, including species that were not previously seen, such as conch. It is a possible sign of the beginning of the recovery of the marine environment after years of decline.
Dynamite and the Fourth Division
Ahmed believes that the main reason for the reappearance of sand fleas and other species on Syrian beaches is the cessation of dynamite fishing, while others interviewed for this investigation cite different reasons. Standing firmly in front of the waves on the rocks of the Marine Research Beach, Issa says: “The sea was dying before our eyes, throughout my life here, which spans more than two decades. Families close to the former regime never stopped throwing explosives into the sea”. According to him, the Fourth Division used systematic destructive methods, from throwing huge quantities of explosives (dynamite) into and outside the harbour basin to unregulated dredging operations. All of this has turned the seabed into a barren environment, leading to a decline in fish quality and a sharp decline in fish stocks.
"They filled empty tin cans with at least ten kg of agricultural fertilizer, which turns into an explosive substance when combined with a detonator, and threw them in the area stretching from the Ibn Hani reserve to the end of Tartus. No one would dare to approach them”, he says. “Dynamite kills seeds, and there are many types, such as Um Hank, Jadoum, Balmoot, Al-Ghariba, as well as the small local sardines which attract larger fish. I expect that the decline in illegal fishing with dynamite has allowed fish to return to their coastal habitats when they previously avoided them due to constant disturbance".
The dynamite explosions usually took place close to the beaches where most fishermen cast their lines. “We have royal sardines appearing for the first time weighing one and a half ounces, living one to two metres deep, due to the cessation of dynamite use” Ahmed says. Marine diversity is high on these beaches. The FAO indicates that most of this diversity is concentrated one to 50 metres deep, i.e. in the dynamite blasting zone. In addition, the average width of the continental shelf, where most of the explosions take place, is between two and 16 kilometres, which is within the range of fish that can be caught with hooks and nets.
In a previous investigative report on this issue, Ahmed explained how security forces and other corrupt networks worked to destroy the marine environment and the unique coral reefs in the area. The director of the reserve was one of the victims of these networks and survived an assassination attempt. “Today, the situation has changed”, says Ahmed, but has dynamite fishing really disappeared?
Ahmed and a number of other fishermen in the Al-Bahouth area and other areas such as Mina Al-Yugoslavi, Mina Al-Said, and Marfa Jableh confirm that there have been no notable incidents of dynamite fishing near the shore in the year since the fall of the Assad regime. SyriaUntold asked at least seven fishermen from different areas, and they all pointed to the possibility that dynamite was being thrown into areas further out to sea, away from the shore.
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Fisherman Mohammad Hamisha, 45, a mathematics teacher in Latakia schools who has been fishing for at least two decades, offers an explanation for the absence of dynamite fishing. “The cessation of explosives fishing is not related to censorship or awareness, but rather to the severing of the lifeline that allowed this practice and protected its perpetrators. In the past, networks that practised explosives fishing operated under a security cover, which made them immune from accountability. Today, that cover has been lifted”.
Mohammed points to the sea and explains: “In the current situation, the possession or use of dynamite is a ready-made charge, as any explosion at sea will expose its perpetrators to immediate accusations of belonging to the remnants of the ousted president's regime and working on its behalf. No one dares to throw dynamite and risk being caught by the security forces or factions, especially in the upper coastal areas, which are subject to strict surveillance and security concerns, monitoring any suspicious activity. The source that used to provide them with protection and materials is gone, and the phenomenon has been eradicated at its roots”.
Preventing seabed erosion
The absence of dynamite fishing has played a major role in the recovery of fish stocks. Other factors, however, are equally serious and important, chief among them being the prevention of bottom trawling in all of its three forms (wild, continental and cage). According to fishermen, including veteran boat captains SyriaUntold met in Latakia, this type of fishing, known worldwide, involves the use of boats equipped with long, strong nets to trawl as much fish as possible. The depth and diameter of the nets determine the types of fish caught. The ban on this continental shelf and its consequences are the subject of heated debate between fishermen who support its return and those who oppose it, and there seems to be no end in sight to this controversy.
In Syria, the Ministry of Agriculture issued Decision No. 5 in 2004 prohibiting bottom trawling within territorial waters, in a move described at the time as ‘historic’ for the preservation of marine resources. The decree continued to be strictly enforced and monitored until 2017-2020, when the authorities made an exception and allowed this type of fishing to resume. Khaled Zangarli, a 42-year-old net fisherman from Latakia, says: “During those years, we saw a slight change in fish yields. We noticed that our boats were catching different species, but the improvement was not significant”.
After extensive deliberations between the ministry and trawl fishermen, which lasted from 2018 to 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform reinstated the ban on trawling in April 2021, armed with Law No. 11 in 2021. The latest established the General Authority for Fisheries and Aquatic Life and set strict controls on fishing, with deterrent penalties for anyone who damages the aquatic environment.
This decision had an immediate impact on the ground, halting the work of 44 trawlers (out of 818) operating in an area of 180 square kilometres of Syrian territorial waters. The decision also imposed a biological rest period prohibiting fishing between 15 June and 15 September each year to protect the breeding season. “The decision came as a shock to us, and we still haven't recovered from it”, admits fisherman Mahmoud Jaber, Abu Farouk (50) from Latakia, one of those affected by the ban. “I have been supporting my family with this work for more than 20 years. Suddenly, I found myself without a source of income and no longer dared to go on fishing trips, even though I am convinced that this type of fishing, which we have inherited from our fathers and grandfathers, is not harmful as the ministry claims”.
He is supported by Abu al-Abd (52), one of Latakia's leading fishermen and owner of trawlers in the continental region: "Trawling allows the seabed to be renewed and moves fish that are originally migratory species, not local ones. Furthermore, anyone who wants to ban trawling should ban fishing with 16 mm diameter nets, which effectively catch all types of fish, unlike trawling, which catches specific species".
Former trawler owners emphasize that thousands of similar vessels operate across the Mediterranean, noting that bottom trawling remains legal in neighboring countries like Lebanon, Turkey, and Cyprus under strict regulatory frameworks. They advocate for the reinstatement of bottom trawling in Syria, arguing that these countries have successfully leveraged the practice to boost fish production and export capacity. Furthermore, they highlight a market irony: the frozen fish currently "flooding" Syrian markets at competitive prices often originates from these very neighbors, where strict quota systems and seasonal monitoring allow for sustainable commercial harvesting.
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Contrary to what supporters of trawling say, environmental experts warn against overlooking fundamental differences in its application in Syria compared to other countries. The principle of ‘responsible fishing’ allows trawling only in international waters and prohibits it in territorial waters, while some reports indicate that trawling is practised in Syrian territorial waters. Dr. Firas Al-Shawi, an environmental expert at the Higher Institute of Marine Research in Latakia, explains that "dredging in its current form – bottom trawling and midwater trawling – leads to the complete destruction of the environment when the net is pulled in, causing the destruction of the natural habitats of marine organisms and the capture of non-economic fish, which are returned to the sea dead, and causing an imbalance in the marine food web".
Dr. Al-Shawi adds that “fish cages, although not a form of trawling, also contribute to damaging the marine environment by breaking coral and destroying small caves that are natural habitats for marine organisms”. As for imported frozen fish, the environmental expert believes that it is mostly “produced in marine fish farms, not as a result of trawling”, which opens the door to alternative solutions that meet market demand without harming the environment.
While the beaches of Latakia, such as Bahriya, Sand, and Pine, are witnessing the implementation of practices to prevent overfishing, there are contradictory reports from the city of Jableh (south of Latakia) revealing the continuation of destructive practices in some areas, specifically dredging, which residents see clearly at night.
The disparity between the coast of Jableh and the coast of Latakia confirms that environmental recovery is not certain, but rather a direct result of regulatory will. Where there is regulation, as on the coast of Latakia, fish have returned and marine life has been revitalised. Where it is absent, as on some beaches in Jableh, production remains low. This geographical contrast illustrates the fact that solutions exist, and that what is needed is the official will to complete the recovery and regulate the fishing sector in a sensible way that achieves sustainability.
Official numbers and the limited signs of recovery
Official data from the General Authority for Fisheries reveals a complex picture and conflicting figures for marine fisheries production, but there are slight signs of improvement.
According to some academic studies based on official publications by the General Authority for Fish Resources and other field references, after marine production fell to its lowest level in 2017, reaching only 1,513 tonnes, the recovery curve began to rise. In 2021, marine fish catches in Syria reached 2,003 tonnes, while the most notable indicator was between 2022 and 2024, when production jumped from 2,522 tonnes to 2,787 tonnes. No official data is available for the current year of 2025. This surge of more than 200 tonnes in two years, based on official figures, is the result of a decline in destructive practices. The new authorities continued their campaigns against illegal fishing, with the General Directorate of Ports announcing in July 2025 that it had arrested a group of fishermen for using dynamite off the Syrian coast, in a violation that once again threatens the Syrian sea.
The effects of this limited environmental recovery are gradually reaching the fish markets in Latakia and Tartus. After years of high prices and scarce or expensive supplies, consumers are beginning to notice a slight but noticeable improvement. Abu Anas (Mahmoud Susi), a fishmonger in the Ugarit market in the heart of Latakia city, says: “Production this year is good compared to previous years, but it is not enough. The market quickly absorbs any increase, and local production is still below consumption needs”. He adds: “During the last sardine season, we noticed a drop in prices of about 20% compared to last year. The quantities were larger, and sardines arrived daily from the port. But prices did not fall much because of high transport and energy costs”.
According to the current price list for fish in the Saqoubin area (Latakia), the price of sardines and Pagrus fish for grilling remained between 100,000 and 130,000 Syrian pounds, while mackerel ranged between 20,000 and 30,000 pounds, down from 40,000 to 60,000 pounds. The price of balmida fell from 80,000 to only 20,000 pounds. The fishmonger points out that there is a wide range of fish to suit all budgets.
In Syrian fish consumption indicators, the rate remains low compared to global consumption. Dr. Malik Ali, head of the Animal Production Department at the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Latakia, says that the average per capita consumption of fish in Syria does not exceed 1 kilogram per year, compared to 9 kilograms globally and 24 to 25 kilograms in developed countries. Ali attributes this decline to the narrowness of the continental shelf off the Syrian coast, which in some areas does not exceed 200 to 300 metres, compared to 15 or 20 km in some countries.
From the consumers' perspective, Fatima Ali, 38, a housewife from the Blue Beach neighbourhood, confirms: “This season, I have noticed a greater variety of fish, especially sardines, mullet and sea bream. Prices are still high for sea bass and sea bream, but at least there are more options now”. Engineer Bassel (42), a resident of the Faros neighbourhood in Latakia, comments: “I'm seeing types of fish in the market that I haven't seen before. The quality has improved significantly, but the difference in prices is still slight. I hope this improvement continues”.
This picture is not without its complications. On the one hand, the influx of imported frozen fish (around 5,000 tonnes, mainly from Turkey and Vietnam) has put pressure on prices, affecting the profit margins of local fishermen. On the other hand, the improvement in production remains limited in the face of high demand, as the increase in local production is not sufficient to keep pace with the growing market need.
Towards sustainable recovery
Amid the environmental crises plaguing the Mediterranean, even a modest recovery of the marine ecosystem is hailed as a miracle. Recent reports offer a glimmer of hope for Syria’s coastal waters, where an increase in both the volume and diversity of fish—alongside the reappearance of elusive marine species—suggests a tentative environmental resurgence.
Although Syria’s marine production remains modest compared to its neighbors, the sea’s untapped potential for sustainable growth is immense. The return of the laqiz (sand steenbras) is more than a biological anomaly; it is a catalyst for innovative environmental and humanitarian strategies. If managed wisely, this resurgence could revitalize the fisheries sector, transforming it into a cornerstone of Syria’s emerging new economy.
Fisherman Ahmed Issa captures the essence of this transformation with a simple truth: “The sea repays us when we leave it alone”. His words underscore the reality that effective protection and vigilant monitoring are the only ways to revive a sea that was once on the brink of becoming an aquatic graveyard. The current challenge lies in transforming this temporary surge into long-term sustainability. The return of the fish is merely the opening chapter in the restoration of Syria’s marine heritage - a sentiment echoed by 60-year-old Ali Ibrahim as he pulls his nets in Al-Qasbah: “The sea is bountiful these days, and for all of us, this is a beautiful beginning”.
