KARACHI, Oct 31: A Sindh, Balochistan-based fishermen association has called for effective measures to save the coastal economy from total collapse.

At a Press conference here on Wednesday evening, the president of the Anjuman-i-Ittehad-i- Mahigriran, Sindh and Balochistan, Mr Bashir Baloch, said the livelihood of thousands of small fishermen, depending on small-scale fishing in the creeks of Sindh, was being threatened because of the use destructive nets by “highly influential persons.”

He said that although the Sindh government, through a notification, had imposed a ban on the use of destructive nets in 1995, it had never been effectively implemented.

He said a similar ban was effectively imposed in Balochistan by the government to preserve the species of fish and shrimps.

Giving a grim picture of the coastal economy, the fishermen’s representative said that the continued use of destructive fishing nets such as Boola, Gujja and Katra had destroyed the breeding grounds of the fish and shrimp species in Sindh.

As a result, he said, many precious fish species had been depleted causing immense damage to the livelihood of thousands of small fishermen living on the coast of Sindh, besides causing a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.

He lamented that despite frequent protests by the small fishermen, no effective measures were taken so far to save the coastal economy from collapse.

He also suggested that elements found guilty for using destructive nets in fishing must be awarded severe punishment.

He was also of the view that the situation could be improved by effective legislation and implementation by the government agencies.

He warned that in case the government failed to take practical measures, the fishermen would have no other option but to take the course of agitation.