KARACHI, Aug 17: Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Yar Muhammad Rind and the stake-holders of fisheries sector discussed the national policy of deep-sea fishing here on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Minister for Fisheries Sardar Manzoor Panhwar, Federal Food Secretary Salik Nazir, Director General of the Marine Fisheries Department Cdr Raza Naqvi, Managing Director of Korangi Fish Harbour Kamal Ataturk, Secretaries Fisheries Sindh and Balochistan and Mr Shafi Jamot.

The meeting decided to maintain a status quo on the issue for at least one year till the MFD received the research and survey vessel to assess the fish stock and fishing practices in the country’s territorial waters.

Mr Rind informed the meeting that the policy had been formulated for three years and operators’ licences would be renewed annually.

Initially, the policy allows 20 operators, but only 15 are operating in the country.

While the provincial representatives strongly opposed deep-sea fishing and stressed termination of this policy altogether, representatives from the MFD and KoFH presented facts and figures in support of the policy.

Sardar Panhwar called for limiting the operation of deep-sea trawlers up to 25 nautical miles only from the coast as against the present limit of 12 nautical miles.

Shafi Jamot blamed deep-sea fishing for the reduced catch by the local launches, i.e. about 23 per cent last year. He also called for a technical survey of fish stock and a check on rising marine pollution.

He recalled that besides trespassing their limits, the deep-sea trawlers were found dumping by-catch overboard not only destroying the marine life unnecessarily but also further polluting the seawater.

Mr Panhwar criticized the technique used by trawler-operators who beat the sea-bed damaging the fragile ecosystem.

However, Kamal Ataturk pointed out that in the last year, more than half-a-million tons of fish were brought at Karachi Fish Harbour whereas the total catch by deep-sea trawlers in 14 months came to about 5,000 tons.

The by-catch, he added, used to be the fish consumed in Pakistan and not thrown overboard, rather sold locally. More than 400 tons of fish have so far been sold out which is on record, he pointed out.

Commodore Raza maintained that with advancement in technology and a strict check by the MFD, no violation of trespassing had been reported.

The meeting also discussed the issue of banned nets allegedly being used by local fishermen.

Mr Panhwar told the federal minister that the matter would be taken up in next assembly session. The meeting was also told that there was no authority responsible for the implementation of fishing laws.—PPI