ALTHOUGH small, the fisheries sector is part of the country’s economy. More importantly, it is the main source of livelihood for the people of scores of villages dotting Pakistan’s coastline. These realities, to say nothing of the pressing need of the planet’s conservation, have sadly done little to prod citizens or state authorities into action that could save our part of the Indian Ocean. On Wednesday in Karachi, a national workshop on the topic of sustainable fisheries had been organised by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum in collaboration with a UN agency. On the occasion, Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo lamented the practice of overfishing. In passing, he also mentioned another issue which many feel is of even more pressing importance: marine pollution. As acknowledged some time ago by the Marine Pollution Control department, some 350 million gallons of raw sewage or untreated industrial waste from Karachi enter the harbour every single day. In addition, thousands of tonnes of solid waste are dumped into or end up in the harbour on a daily basis. This appalling picture is only likely to worsen given that not all the pollutants going into the sea from this country’s coastline are tabulated.

Under the weight of the waste that is generated, the infrastructure in many of Pakistan’s cities is almost on the verge of collapse. Unfortunately, the seas are in a similar situation, again through damaging human activity and interference in the ways of nature. Efforts have been made to clean up the waters, but this is a long and expensive process that will take time to bear fruit. The first thing to be done is to stop the flow of sewage and garbage from Karachi — this is by far the single large source of pollution. The city’s old and inadequate sewage systems need a serious overhaul, and waste management has to become a priority. The recently inducted chief minister has promised a cleaner Karachi; can he be induced to turn his attention to the sea as well?

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2016