KARACHI, March 25: Small fishermen who use wooden boats and depend on creeks for their livelihood, have called for an immediate implementation of a ban on dangerous nets as proposed to be enforced.
A group of the small fishermen approached the media to express their concern over the constant use of the nets and the relevant authorities' indifferent attitude over the destruction the nets were causing to the sea resources.
Despite repeated assurance on the part of the government that the ban was under consideration and would be enforced soon after necessary legislation, nothing had been done so far, they lamented.
A local fisherman, Gul Mohammad Jat, told this reporter that a small boat had drowned near Sun Creek, a few kilometres from Port Qasim on Sunday after being trapped in fine nets. Three fishermen - Usman, Sulaiman and Haroon - had been rescued by other fishermen in the incident.
He said that small boat-owners depending on shore catch had always remained victims of these destructive nets, locally known as Boola, Guja and Katra. The group urged the government on behalf of their community to declare such nets strictly banned in order to ensure protection to the livelihood of small fishermen and also to the juvenile fish.
Though in the past a ban had been imposed by the provincial government through an ordinance, but it could not be enforced effectively. The local fishermen believe that illegal immigrants, in connivance with influential figures, have been using the fine nets.
These influential personalities, they allege, also provide them shelter in specific areas of the Sindh coast and also protection from any legal action.
In exchange, these influential people easily exploit them by taking away more than 50 per cent of their catch, or purchasing their catch at 50 per cent lesser then market prices.
The local fishermen allege that the dangerous and destructive fishing nets had first been introduced by Bengali-speaking illegal immigrants in Sindh. A survey shows that hundreds of illegal immigrants, who have taken refuge in the coastal belt of Sindh, are mostly engaged in fishing sector.
Interviews with various sources in the sector hint that the immigrants are recruited by sea-lords as labourers on launches on very low remuneration. These sea-lords are in virtual command on the fishing business in their respective localities.
They have also built small huts to accommodate the illegal immigrants who are force to pay a monthly rent for the facility guarded by armed men hired for the purpose. Thousands of illegal immigrants, especially Bengalis and Burmese, are engaged in illegal fishing in the coastal areas of Sindh.
