KARACHI, Sept 16: Small fishermen dependent on traditional wooden boats for livelihood have urged the government to create alternative sources of income for them as the fisheries sector is under tremendous pressure and it is difficult for the community to meet their economic needs.

For this purpose they suggested that a new fisheries policy be framed emphasising a comprehensive development package to boost the economic activities in their villages by developing infrastructure.

A survey of fishing villages in Karachi shows that most of these are without drinking water, electricity, health and education facilities and the residents live in abject poverty.

Mohammad Haroon, an elderly fisherman of Mubarak Village, says that over-fishing by local and foreign trawlers had ruined the coastal economy and brought untold miseries to the small fishermen.

According to him, unregulated fishing by the mechanised trawlers along the coast of Sindh had not only wiped out fish species, but this had also deprived small fishermen of their livelihood.

“Despite repeated protests, the government did nothing to stop the harmful practice, which is still continuing,” Mr Haroon complained.

He stressed that the time had come for the government to act in the interest of the fisheries sector and fishermen communities by putting a complete ban on fishing by mechanised trawlers along the Sindh coast.

According to the small fishermen, their wooden boats could not compete with the huge, factory-sized trawlers. At the same time, Mr Haroon maintained that emphasis should be laid on the development side by launching income-generating projects as presently, the livelihood of fishermen merely depended on fishing; since they had no other option, they were suffering economically because of a decline in fish species due to multiple reasons.

The survey shows that each fishermen family has an average of eight to 10 children. Due to a lack of alternative means of income, these youngsters have been forced to make their livelihoods from the common resources of the sea as did their forefathers. This puts pressure on the fisheries industry along the coast of Sindh.

It has also been observed that with the disappearance of fresh river water, agriculture along the coastal belt is no longer possible. These changes forced the agricultural communities to shift their livelihoods to fisheries, further burdening the coastal belt.

At present, all the communities who were previously engaged in agriculture and livestock grazing have completely shifted their livelihoods towards fisheries, resulting in greater pressures on this primary source of livelihood along the Sindh coast.