KARACHI, May 18: The Sea and Fresh-Water Food Mole-holders Association has called for evolving an effective mechanism to regulate the fish business at Karachi Fish Harbour.

At a press conference on Saturday, the association’s president Mohammad Ismail Baboo claimed that there was no organized, disciplined, or legalised fish trading system in Karachi Harbour.

According to him, under the present system, the fishermen catch the fish and unload it at Karachi Fish Harbour for sale. The Fishermen Cooperative Society has sole rights to conduct the sale of fish through auction or otherwise and charge 6.25 per cent commission on the gross sale amount.

He said the FCS being the main broker issues fish brokerage permission to the mole-holders, the members of the association. Thus the mole-holder, in fact, is fish broker acting as agent on behalf of the FCS.

The role of the FCS is simple and straight forward that is whatever amount of fish is sold, they straight away want their 3.125 per cent commission of the gross-sale proceeds. If not paid, the mole-holder is threatened of the cancellation of the agreement with the FCS.

He said the mole-holder’s business is highly capital intensive and cumbersome and full of financial risks. Moreover, a mole- holder has to advance money to the launch owner for having a fishing launch registered at his mole. Before sending a launch on fishing venture, he has to pay for buying fuel, ice for preserving fish, ration for feeding crew during the voyage.

He urged the government to extend help to mole-holders in the recovery of stuck up money so that it is paid to fishermen as well.

Ismail suggested that Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) must come forward to play its role in the recovery of outstanding amount of mole-holders from exporters