KARACHI: While the sea becomes rough and the fishing of shrimp and some freshwater species is officially banned in the month of July, many fishermen with no alternative source of earning a livelihood arranged by the government, turn to fishing in the heavily polluted backwater areas of the port while others suffer in silence.

Below the Native Jetty Bridge is an area called Ghas Bandar, where a group of fishermen return by mid-afternoon as the blazing sun starts to lose its intensity. Their catch is taken out from a small wooden boat and filled in to big hand-made baskets, ready to be sold to middlemen waiting in rickshaws.

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“We use this channel to bring our catch to Ghas Bandar to sell, as fishing is banned at the fish harbour this time of the year,” said Mushtaq, the captain-cum-owner of the boat.

The catch from the heavily polluted water comprised a single small-sized species the fishermen called Moori in their local language. They managed to catch about 180kg of fish that fetched between Rs4,000 and Rs5,000. “The amount will be distributed among the six of us after deducting the trip expenses,” he said, adding that he earned more or less the same during the fishing season.

Unlike Mushtaq who continues to earn a livelihood during the month of July despite the ban, fishermen who are dependent exclusively on the shrimp catch from the open sea have to face a lot of hardships.

“We have no support from the government or the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS) whose job is to work for our welfare,” said Ramazan who operates his boat from the Karachi fish harbour.

Highlighting the plight of his fellow fishermen, Ramazan said they earned between Rs300 and Rs500 on a single trip but these days they have no other source of income. “They know no other skills to earn a living,” he added.

When asked about the reasons for not fishing other marine species as the ban is imposed only on shrimp and some fresh water species, he said that fishing for other marine species requires certain skills, while shrimp trawling done by a special net is simple and less risky. “We do get other species but our target is shrimp. Fishermen who catch other species have their own specialised staff and equipment,” he explained.

According to a government notification, the one-month ban on catching freshwater fish and shrimp has been in effect from July 1, while the month of June has been relaxed for fishing.

The ban imposed to help shrimp and fish breeding, according to sources, is only implemented within the limits of the Karachi Fish Harbour while fishing business continues as usual in other coastal parts of Karachi and interior Sindh including creek areas, which are considered to be breeding grounds for shrimp and many fish species.

However, between 20,000 and 25,000 households are affected by the fishing ban according to an estimate. About 850 shrimp trawlers operate from the city harbour alone.

The necessity of the fishing ban has been proved through scientific studies as experts believe that a two-month ban across the province is vital to save depleting fish resources. Fishermen, however, have always opposed it.

“Sustainable fishing demands that annually, for a period of time, fishing should be closed in order to encourage the growth of certain species. In our case, this has never happened,” said World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan technical adviser on marine resources Mohammad Moazzam Khan.

According to him, there has been a 70 per cent decline in the catch of large-sized shrimp in four decades while the landing of colossal-size shrimp has reduced to zero. Khan blames the situation on government negligence.

“Rampant use of harmful fishing nets that catch even the juvenile species, the large size of fishing fleet and continued fishing the whole year are major factors that have brought us to this level,” he believes.

He regretted fishing taking place in the polluted waters of Ghas Bandar and said that catch taken out of contaminated water is hazardous for health.

Experts are of the opinion that the FCS, whose affairs has been greatly politicised over the years and has lost its credibility, needs to play its due role and start alternative livelihood projects for fishermen especially during this season. That, they say, is only possible if the FCS is made a true fishermen representative body by the government.

Presently, the FCS board of directors stands dissolved and its key officials are under the custody of the Rangers.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2015

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