KARACHI: On the eve of World Fisheries Day, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) has stressed the need of protecting natural habitats and the diverse fauna and flora that, it says, are under serious threat due to unsustainable practices and the uncontrolled increase in the fishing fleet.

According to a press release issued here, the organisation said the day, observed globally on Nov 21, serves as a stark reminder of the mounting threats facing the marine ecosystems. Beyond celebrating the value of fisheries, this day underscores the urgent need for sustainable resource management, the protection of small-scale fishing communities’ rights, the improvement of working conditions, and the elimination of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

It said: “It is now well-known that more than two-thirds of the world’s fisheries have been overfished or are fully harvested, and more than one-third are in a state of decline because of factors such as the loss of essential fish habitats, pollution, and climate change.

“The situation in Pakistan is not different, as most of the fish stocks in coastal and offshore waters are now overexploited which is evident from stagnancy in the fish landings which is not static rather declining,” it said, adding: “Major post-harvest losses, high bycatch of endangered and threatened species such as cetaceans, turtles, and other megafauna, along with the uncontrolled increase in the fishing fleet, have significantly threatened marine biodiversity.”

WWF-P Technical Adviser Muhammad Moazzam Khan said: “While several policies and strategies are being developed to improve Pakistan’s fisheries sector, WWF-Pakistan believes that a five-pronged strategy must be implemented immediately.

“This includes reducing the fishing fleet, improving on-board post-harvest handling in multiday fisheries, establishing shrimp farming clusters along the Sindh and Balochistan coasts, initiating exploratory fishing to sustainably utilise unexploited resources, and diversifying seafood products.

“Together, these measures can increase production, boost exports, and significantly improve the socio-economic conditions of coastal fishing communities,” he added.

Implementation on the strategy will enhance seafood production and export, which is necessary for improvement of socio-economic conditions of the coastal communities living along 1,001-km-long Pakistan coast.

Protection of fragile ecosystem of coastal and offshore waters is essentially required as some of the harmful practices are posing extreme threat to highly diversified biodiversity of the northern Arabian Sea, the statement added.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2025