Nile fishermen protect stocks by pulling plastic from river

Fisherman Mohamed Nasar, 58, uses his boat to collect plastic garbage from the Nile river in Giza, Egypt May 20, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Al-QURSAYA, Giza (Reuters) - For 17 years, Mohamed Nasar has supported his family of five by fishing in the Nile River near the banks of the tiny island of Al-Qursaya close to central Cairo.

But the 58-year-old says fishermen like himself catch fewer fish every year as the Nile has become clogged with plastic bottles, bags and other waste.