GAZA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official on Saturday slammed Israel's decision to reduce the fishing area off the Gaza Strip coast from nine nautical miles to six nautical miles as "unjust and unfair."

"The unfair and unjust decision," which will come into effect on Sunday, "will negatively influence the living of hundreds of fishermen amid a severe economy recession in the Gaza Strip," Nizar Ayyash, head of the fishermen association in the Gaza Strip, told Xinhua.

The decision to reduce the fishing area off the Gaza Strip coast was made by Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Israel Radio reported earlier in the day.

"Although Israel expanded the fishing area in August to nine nautical miles, the Israeli naval forces continued its harassment against Gazan fishermen, which badly affected the amount of fish they were catching," said Ayyash.

The Israeli decision came just after the Friday anti-Israel protests by thousands of Palestinians in the eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel.

Israel may tighten security measures on Gaza if the Palestinian protests near the Israel-Gaza border continue, the radio report said.

The Israeli gunfire killed three Palestinians and wounded 190 others during this Friday anti-Israel rally.

Since the outbreak of what the Palestinians term as the March of Return rally on March 30, the Israeli army has shot dead 198 Palestinians and wounded around 22,000 others, according to the Gaza health ministry.