KARACHI, May 26: Speakers at a seminar held here on Saturday stressed the need for improving conditions at the market halls of the Karachi Fish Harbour to give a boost to exports of fisheries products, and called for ending the role of middleman, observing that fishermen had to surrender quite a big chunk of income from their catch to the middleman.

The seminar, entitled ‘Fish Marketing: Problems’, was organised by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum with the cooperation of Oxfam GB.

Representing various fields of the seafood industry, the speakers regretted that over the past six decades, not a slight improvement could be brought about in the quality of life of fisherman community in the country. They said that middlemen, owners of fish food processing units, mole-holders and investors all were equally responsible for their plight.

The speakers observed that mismanagement and chaos at the market halls forced fishermen to sell away their high-priced catch to middlemen at a throw away prices and the middlemen would then earn the maximum profits after paying a nominal amount as commission to the Fishermen Cooperative Society.

They also criticised the Sindh Fisheries Department for not taken interest in ensuring hygienic conditions at the harbour. Consequently, they regretted, the European Union imposed a ban on import of seafood from Pakistan.

Those who spoke at the seminar included Saeed Baloch, General Secretary of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Hanif Khan, a representative of the owners of processing units, Aziz Ansari, Deputy Director of the Sindh Fisheries Department, and Ansar Ahmed Hashmi, Director of Marine Fisheries.

Mr Ansari stressed the need for collective efforts to improve conditions at the market halls in order to maintain standards and quality of fisheries products and compete in the world market.