KARACHI, May 23: The Pakistan Fisher-folk Forum (PFF), at an emergency meeting on Friday, strongly criticized the government for issuing licenses to deep-sea trawlers, thereby posing threat of ruin to fishermen and marine life, as well.

It was decided at the meeting that the fishermen would hold a demonstration at the Karachi Fish Harbour on May 24, at 10am, to register their protest against the move.

The body accused the bureaucracy of conspiring, in collaboration with foreign trawlers, against the local fishermen and misguiding the government on the subject to secure the licenses for deep-sea fishing, which would force the poor fishermen to suffer starvation.

The meeting claimed that as a result of their struggle against deep-sea fishing the President Pervez Musharraf, realizing their miseries, had cancelled all the licenses.

The meeting discussed the adverse effects of deep-sea fishing on marine life and decided that the struggle would continue till the cancellation of these licenses by the government.

BANNED: In pursuance of provision of the Section 5 of the Sindh Fisheries Ordinances, 1980, the government has imposed a ban, from June 1 to July 31, on catching freshwater fish, i-e Rohu, Morakhi, Thaila and Calbasu and the shrimps, Kalari, Jaira and Kiddi. — PPI