August 8, 2002	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 28,1423

HUB, Aug 7: The Balochistan Coastal Development Authority (BCDA) has planned to build four new fish harbours along the provincial coast at a cost of Rs240 million.

These harbours would be built at Gadani, Ormara, Pishokan and Pasni. The Gadani fish harbour would be financed by the BCDA, while rest of the harbours would be funded by the foreign donor agencies, including Forest and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Japan Ad.

This was disclosed by Mola Bakhsh Baloch, director administration, BCDA, while talking to Dawn at fisheries office Hub on Tuesday. Assistant director fisheries Lasbela, Qazi Akbar was also present on the occasion.

Mr Baloch said $90 million (Rs550 million) had been sanctioned by the FAO and Japan Ad for the betterment of the coastal area of Balochistan, building of jetties and harbours, provision of pollution-free environment, enhancement of life standard of the fishermen and development of communication system along the coastal area.

He said through these funds four harbours would be built at Gadani, Ormara, Pishokan and Pasni to provide unloading, freezing and selling facilities of catch, and construction of net making factories at Gadani, Daam, Ormara, Pishokan, Gunz, Pasni, Gwadar and Jeewani to enable the local fishermen to buy quality nets at affordable prices.

He said after imposing ban on wire net fishing and issuing fishing permits (Rs30,000 per trawler) to trawlers and boats of Karachi, the BCDA had earned Rs95 million in only one year. “And Rs14.5 million have also been netted through penalty from trawlers and boats seized under illegal fishing during the last six months,” Mr Baloch said, adding the BCDA had also planned to issue 250 permits monthly to the local fishermen.