In the fishing village of Karranah on the north coast of Bahrain, 72-year-old Haji Saeed, one of the community’s oldest fishermen, wades through the low tide to check his traps.

Twenty years ago, the sea in front of him was home to an abundance of local fish, including hamour, a type of cod, and safi, a rabbitfish; he could easily catch over 100 kilograms (220 pounds) in a day. 

Then, the Bahrain government built two artificial islands that altered the seabed, driving fish populations away from the shallow coastal waters.

When he returns to shore, Saeed has collected barely more than three kilos (6.6 pounds) of fish from his five traps, called hadrahs. The next day, he collects only three fish weighing just