KARACHI, May 5: The fishing dispute between Sindh and Balochistan will be permanently settled with mutual consent and negotiations.

This was stated here on Monday by the Sindh minister of livestock, Sardar Manzoor Husain Panhwar, while talking to newsmen at Karachi Fish Harbour.

It was his first visit to the harbour after his nomination as chairman of Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority by the government. The minister was accompanied by the fisheries secretary.

“This is an important issue and we have considered it seriously and decided to approach the Balochistan government and hold detailed negotiations with the concerned officials of the province to find out a lasting solution to this lingering issue”, he said.

Regarding deep-sea fishing, the minister said a request would soon be made to the federal government to extend the 12-nautical mile zone reserved for small boat-owners up to 20-25 miles.

He also said that a draft ordinance had been placed before the governor for prohibiting the use of illegal fishing nets locally known as gujja, katro and bhola. The ordinance would be issued within one month.

He made it clear that the ban on use of fine nets would be enforced strictly. Under the ordinance, “whosoever violates the law will have to pay a fine of Rs100,000 and suffer a three-year RI, he said.

After the promulgation of the Ordinance, he said, the government will request the PN to provide the assistance in the implementation of this law.

“Pakistan Navy has the expertise and it can help check the use of prohibited fishing nets”, the minister said.

He pointed out that the Navy would be requested to provide guards and equipment and manpower for watch and surveillance of coastal areas to eliminate this menace which has reduced the production of seafood by 20 to 30 per cent.

The minister stated that a proposal for the creation of a surveillance force which will monitor the indiscriminate use of fine nets in the creeks of Sindh was also under consideration.

The minister lauded some of the measures taken by the previous naval administration, saying that “we will continue to adopt them.”

In reply to a question, Panhwar said the current administrative change was the logical outcome of the democratic changes that took place in the country.

To a question about the dispute between the KFHA and Fishermen Cooperative Society, he said the matter would also be resolved this month.

According to him, after the revision of rental charges, this problem would be resolved once for all and investors can get land for setting up processing plants in the KFHA area.

Earlier, the KFHA managing director, Abdul Waheed Pirzada, gave a briefing to the minister about the performance of the authority.

The minister also took a round of the harbour and visited the auction halls as well as the KFHA head office.

FCS: A delegation of Fishermen Cooperative Society, led by its Vice-Chairman Haji Shafi Mohammad Jamote, called on the minister and discussed with him the problems of fishermen community.