KARACHI: Speakers at the launch of three boats at Korangi Fish Harbour on Friday emphasised the need for changing fishing gear in local operations from gillnets to longline.They said that it had already been done at a small scale in the coastal areas of Karachi where the new practice had reduced incidents of entanglement and death of threatened species, including that of sharks, whale sharks, marine turtles and dolphins.

They stressed the need for replicating the modified practice at a larger scale.

The event was organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) in collaboration with the fisheries department and Engro Foundation.

Speaking at the gathering, senior manager conservation at the WWF-Pakistan Altaf Hussain Sheikh explained how the old practice of using gillnets had been harming and causing mortalities of young fish and rare marine species.

Speakers say gillnets are harmful for fish and other aquatic species

“By switching to longline gear, we can lower mortalities of the threatened species by 85 per cent,” he said, adding that it had been effectively demonstrated through a project being implemented by the organisation with the support of Engro Foundation since 2016 in three coastal areas of Karachi.

Under the Sustainable Fisheries Entrepreneurship Project, he informed the gathering, capacity of 2,868 households on sustainable fishing practices and promotion of alternative livelihood options had been added. Over 1,000 fishers had adopted the practices to save the endangered animals and record the fisheries data.

Mr Sheikh reported that the trained fishers had freed hundreds of turtles, dolphins, sharks and whales back to the sea in the past five years.

“This initiative has been very successful as fishers keep sharing information, photos and videos of the endangered animals they are protecting through ongoing efforts,” he said.

Highlighting how poor fishing practices have been causing loss to the economy and depleting marine resources over the years, the speakers said marine fisheries was a primary source of livelihood for fisherfolk in the coastal areas of Pakistan, particularly in Ibrahim Hyderi and Rehri, which had remained marred with high bycatch, post-harvest losses and overfishing.

Recently, they said, a significant increase in the fishing effort had led to growing use of destructive fishing gear at an alarming level in the creek areas and adjacent waters.

These unsustainable practices, it was pointed out, had posed a significant decline in fish stocks besides high post-harvest losses due to fishermen’s improper handling and lack of storage capacity on the fishing vessels.

The caught fish earned low income as it was considered low-value fish and the fishing practice didn’t comply with international standards and instruments, they said.

“Despite these challenges, the WWF-Pakistan and Engro Foundation have contributed significantly to conserving marine resources, including endangered marine species, through awareness among fishers and promoting behavioural attitudinal changes,” Mr Sheikh said.

Dr Asim Kareem, Director Marine and Coastal Fisheries Development Department, Sindh, said that marine life in Pakistan faced serious threats ranging from pollution to harmful fishing methods, loss of breeding grounds and overfishing.

“Consequently, fish stocks are dwindling and adversely impacting marine species, particularly endangered populations in marine waters,” he said.

He shared the department was doing everything to ban illegal fishing and prevent disposal of untreated sewage water into the sea.

“The government is closely working with conservation organisations and the federal government to promote sustainable fishing methods and introduce innovative technologies. The modification in the fishing gear has produced positive results that must be replicated at a large scale in the future.”

Engro Foundation head Favad Soomro affirmed commitment on behalf of his organisation to marine life protection and the well-being of coastal communities.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2023