KARACHI: “Our children are starving; how can we earn a living when they close the sea to us?” This was the question on the fishermen’s lips who gathered at Seaview on Friday to lodge their protest by going on hunger strike for not being allowed to go into the sea to catch fish due to a ban.

“During Ramazan, we broke our fasts with rotten lentils. For Eid we could not afford new clothes for our children. If you do not want us to fish in the sea, give us opportunities for finding new work, for otherwise we will die. Please have a heart,” said Hajra Bibi hailing from Keamari.

After the Seaview tragedy in which nearly 40 picnickers drowned in the sea, the authorities have imposed a ban on bathing and swimming in the sea under Section 144 (power to issue order absolute at once in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the criminal procedure code.

Know more: High tide engulfs Karachi's seaside picnickers

Speaking about the ban on going into the sea, Kamal Shah of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) explained how it affected the poor fishermen.

“Fishing is not done in boats alone. Many fishermen step into shallow waters to throw their nets to catch fish, which they then load into their baskets tied on both sides of their bicycles to sell door to door. The ban prevents them from going into the water, which means no catch and hence no livelihood,” he said.

Abdul Ghani of Bhutta Village said: “I know the ban is there for the safety of people. But fishermen are a separate breed. We know when it is high tide or low tide, when the fish is being washed ashore, etc. We can swim against the tide if we have to. We do not drown easily. We are very good swimmers. The poor picnickers drowned due to the sudden depth in the sea because of the dredging for the new port. Why take it out on us?”

Mohammad Rafiq, also from Bhutta Village, said that his heart bled to see non-experts in the Karachi Port Trust, the Port Qasim Authority, the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, etc, handling things that came naturally to fishermen. “And yet they get the jobs while we are left here to catch fish only. Now that our only livelihood is also being snatched from us, these departments and agencies should at least extend jobs to us,” he said.

Naseeb Bibi of Gizri said: “My grandfather fished by throwing his net in shallow waters and so do my father, brothers and husband. Applying the ban imposed on picnickers to poor fisher folk like us is like a death sentence to us.”

Zain ul Abedin of Keamari said: “We haven’t had a proper meal for almost 12 days now. I cannot even face my family any more because I cannot earn any more. Suicide may be my only option.”

Meanwhile, PFF chairman Dr Mohammad Ali Shah said that most fishermen in Gizri, Shireen Jinnah Colony, Keamari and Bhutta Village relied on their livelihoods by fishing without boats in shallow waters.

“Earlier, they also did this from the Marina Club jetty, which was then taken from us by the Defence Housing Authority. Fisher folk are indigenous people of Karachi. They have been fishing here for hundreds of years. They never had to fight waves, they play with waves as they have grown up around this sea and are not threatened by it. Now you have all these snack bars and fast food joints thriving on this beach, but poor fishermen are being prevented from earning their livelihood here. It is most unfair,” he regretted.

“We have spoken to the commissioner of Karachi, the deputy commissioner of south and the minister of fisheries about our plight over this restriction slapped on us under Section 144 and how badly it is hurting us but to no avail. Now with this protest and hunger strike, we are also giving them a 72-hour notice to kindly look into this matter. After 72 hours, we will march from Seaview to Chief Minister House,” he declared.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2014