KARACHI, Aug 1: A joint meeting of three major fishery bodies -– the Fishermen Cooperative Society, the Pakistan Fisheries Association and the Pakistan Fisher Folk -— on Monday expressed concern over new fishing policy that allowed four large steel hull industrial factory ships with Pakistan flag to operate in territorial waters.

A press release of the Pakistan Fisheries Association on Tuesday quotes Shafi Jamote, a veteran leader of the seafood industry and director of the Fishermen Cooperative Society, as reminding the government that fishermen of the two coastal provinces -— Balochistan and Sindh -— had opposed the deep sea fishing since its inception in 1982, even beyond 35 miles off the coast.

He accused Taiwanese operators of exploiting Pakistan’s rich fish resources to their advantage at the cost of hundreds of thousands of fishermen who live in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

“How come the Balochistan government allows the large steel hull industrial factory ships up to 224 GRT to operate in the inshore waters of the province?” he asked.

He recalled that in 1994-94, more than 20 mega industrial ship factories of Taiwan origin had managed to obtain a Pakistan flag and operated in Pakistan sea waters. “These big ships depleted Pakistan waters of the rich fish resource and made their way home not to come back again,” he recalled.

Mohammad Ali Shah, President of the Pakistan Fishermen Folk, criticised the federal ministry of food and agriculture and Balochistan government for ignoring the interests of the welfare of thousands of poor fishermen and instead serving Taiwan ship operators.He apprehends that Taiwanese operators are now seeking permission from the Sindh government to operate their mega industrial factory ships. “If this happens, the poor fishermen of Sindh coastal areas, who are already hard pressed, will starve,” he warned.