HYDERABAD, Feb 22: Leaders of public opinion have expressed concern over the acute shortage of water in Sindh, proposed construction of the Kalabagh dam and introduction of a contract system for catching fish.

They were speaking at a seminar organized by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum in collaboration with Oxfam at the press club here on Wednesday.

They stressed the need for launching a consistent struggle for rights of fishermen.

PFF vice-chairman Ghulam Mustafa Mirani, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party leader Nandlal Malhi, Tahira Ali Shah, Dr Hyder Qamar Shaikh, Prof Ghulam Mustafa Mastoi and others said the contract system for catching fish in sweet water resources had deprived fishermen of their inherent rights and their only source of livelihood. They regretted that the contracts had been given to non-professionals, adding that fishermen were owners of sweet waters.

They said the government was earning billions of rupees from the fish trade but fishermen had been deprived of all facilities and their families were starving.

They demanded that a licence system should be introduced which should ensure ownership of fishermen on sweet waters.

They said the shortage of water had not only destroyed the agriculture sector of Sindh but had also affected fishermen.

They criticized the fisheries ordinance and the government policy in this regard.

They said that due to the struggle of fishermen, the Sindh government earlier had abolished the contract system and introduced the licence system. But, they regretted, the government re-introduced the contract system.

They claimed that poisonous water was being released into the Indus River which had polluted the river and sweet water lakes and ponds.

They pointed out that as no water was being released downstream Kotri, seawater had destroyed millions of acres of rich agricultural lands and the delta.

The participants of the seminar resolved to resist the contract system through a joint struggle.

The seminar adopted resolutions opposing the Kalabagh dam and demanding release of 135MAF water downstream Kotri to save agriculture and rehabilitate the delta.

In another resolution, the seminar demanded that release of poisonous water into the River Indus should be stopped forthwith and fishermen’s settlements should be provided with basic facilities.

The participants decided that the forum would stage a protest march from the Shahbaz Building to the Hyderabad Press Club on March 1.