Page 150 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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If, after the war, steps have to bo taken to relieve unemployment it may be necessary for
the Bahrain Government to interest itself actively and financially in the diving industry in order
to stimulate that enterprise. Apart from work in the oil field and agriculture, which now employs
comparatively few people and which even if it werQ developed would not provide employment for
any considerable proportion of the population, diving is the only native industry in Bahrain. If
diving could be restored to something like its old position it would provide employment for a
substantial part of the population.

The 1363 season was moderately good. Out of 103 boats whose accounts were dealt with by
the Government clerks the divers of 76 boats made more than their advances. Most of the men in
the 27 boats which were not successful were divers who were released by their old Nakhudas to dive
with new Nakhudas and according to diving law they paid one quarter of their earnings to
their original Nakhudas. This situation was due to the shortage of divers which compelled many
Nakhudas to abstain from taking their boats to sea.
The pearl harvest was larger than last year in spite of there being fewer boats. Only one
important pearl was found which was bought by Shaikh Mustapha bin Abdul Latif of Bombay. In
the boat which made the biggest profits every diver earned Rs. 475 on the season and a puller earned
Rs. 316. Pearl buyers on the whole did better than Nakhudas and divers. At the beginning of the
season prices were high then they dropped and remained stationary till at the end of the season
there was some activity on the market and prices rose. Low-grade pearls obtained good prices,
Na'am sold for higher than last year but high grade pearls were difficult to dispose of. Pearl prices
in Bahrain were as follows :—

Sherin from .. Rs. 120 to Rs. 150 per chow.
Golwa „ • • »« 4° »» 1* 50
Na’am 70
Badla ,. 15 .. if 20 • •

The advances during the year were :—
Diver. Puller.
Tisqaam Rs. 40 30
First salaf 40 30
\ First kharjieh 10 10
Second kharjieh 20 20
Second salaf 30 20
140 no

The estimated value of the season’s, catch was Rs. 18,18,000, this being the amount paid to the
Nakhudas and the divers by the purchasers of pearls, in the previous year the catch was estimated
at Rs. 16.32,000.
The average share of a diver was Rs. 165 and a puller earned Rs. iio. As the advances
amounted to Rs. 152 for a diver and Rs. 119 for a puller, the divers were better off on the season
than the pullers who increased their debts by about nine rupees.

Both this year and last year the month of Ramadhan fell during the diving season. It was
decided last year that there should be no diving during Ramadhan although some persons argued that
provided that the diving took place a certain distance away from Bahrain it would not be wrong to
dive, however the opinions of the Kadis were contrary to lay opinion and the fleet remained in harbour
throughout the month. The remaining period of the diving season, which is altogether four months
and io days, was postponed until after Ramadhan and this procedure will continue for the next
ten years until Ramadhan ceases to coincide with the diving season.

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