By the beach of Zawyet Sultan village in Minya, Marei Kamel Adel has established a simple hut from which he navigates his life’s journey. Starting as a fisherman and later becoming a merchant, he took over the family trade after his father’s passing.
Marei, not only inherited the profession, but also has a deep passion for fishing, which motivated him to continue. He began this path at the age of ten, assisting his father with fishing and boat handling.
“Gradually, I learned how to handle fishing nets and rowing the boat my father owns,” added Marei.
Marei didn’t abandon the profession he inherited its secrets from his father who inherited them from his father; he became famous in Zawyet Sultan. He would go fishing from 08:00 am to 01:00 at noon; a routine he never broke for twenty years.
Marei starts his day by preparing his fishing tools: the plastic crate, scales, weights, and bags, while his children prepare his breakfast and tea.
Years after this, Marei made a career shift, from fishing to buying the fish from his fellow fishermen; he waits for them at the shore and buys whatever the river grants them, then he keeps the fish in the plastic crate in order to sell them to customers.
Marei thinks that selling fish is rather more profitable, so he stopped fishing. He has built a strong reputation as a fish vendor in the village, attracting customers from all over the governorate.
Marei provides for his five children, three of them are still students, and they all live next to the hut he owns on the Nile bank. Three of his children help him sell the fish; they weigh and clean them, and keep him company inside the hut until the end of his working hours.
Marai has a sound reason for purchasing fresh fish, “I only sell fresh fish, not frozen. The origins of frozen fish are uncertain; they could be caught using electrocution or chlorine. This hasn’t affected my business because people appreciate the value of fresh fish,” he explains.
Then he adds, “whenever I purchase a large quantity from fishermen, I sell it all in the market, and winter is the best fishing season.”
Marei believes that the best perk of his profession is living on the Nile bank, where he feels peaceful and relaxed, despite the high prices which affected his profession significantly.
“The costs of education and goods are very high. I purchase fish at a higher price from the fishermen and then sell it also at a higher price to customers, who unfortunately complain.”
Despite this, Marei remains determined to establish a fish farm in his village and open multiple fish shops. He shares this while watching the sunset, carrying his tools and bag, ready to head home.
