KARACHI, Oct 8: Describing overfishing as one of the key factors leading to the destruction of coastal economy, small fishermen living in Mubarak Village demanded a complete ban on the use of soft nets and operation of deep-sea trawlers.

Mohammad Haroon, on behalf of his fellow villagers, said livelihood of 0.6 million small fishermen had been affected due to marked decrease in fish-catch caused by deep-sea trawlers. Round-the-clock fishing by the huge trawlers had greatly contributed to this situation, he added.

According to the indigenous local ethics about fishing practised in the community, he said certain tides and seasons were observed for fishing. The present fishing trends, irrespective of the hatching season, had disturbed the system and badly affected the fish catch.

He said they had learnt through centuries-old fishing practices not to catch small fish and avoid fishing in certain areas for the larger interest of having a regular supply of fish. Those driven by the urge for making maximum profits in minimum possible period had opted for overfishing and damaged not only the fish production but also affected the livelihood of fishermen in coastal areas, he observed.