HYDERABAD, June 11: Sindh Taraqi Pasand Mallah Tanzeem chairman Aarib Mallah has demanded that the Sindh government should implement the Supreme Court's decision and protect the rights of five million fishermen of Sindh.

In a statement on Friday, he recalled that the Sindh Assembly had passed a bill in 1976, abolishing the contract system and introducing licence system. He said that the economic condition of the fishermen improved greatly as they were issued licences for fishing in the Indus river and the Manchhar, Keenjhar and Bakar lakes.

He alleged that corrupt officials of the fisheries department instigated a contractor to approach the Sindh High Court but the honourable court gave the decision against the contractor.

Mr Mallah added that the contractor then approached the Supreme Court which directed the Sindh government in 1997 to legislate law for the fishermen. He said that the fishermen organization had also opposed the use of Bolo, Gujjo and other small nets and the Sindh government had banned the use of these nets.

Aarib Mallah complained that at least 3,000 prohibited nets were being used for fishing in the sea at Keti Bunder. He alleged that a mafia was collecting Rs1,500 extortion for the use of these nets and also forcing the fishermen to sell the catch at throwaway prices.

He said that the biggest sweet water lake of Asia, the Manchhar has already been destroyed due to the release of poisonous water of the MNV drain. He said that the fishermen had lost their only source of livelihood due to the award of contract to outsiders.

He demanded that the ban on prohibited nets should be enforced and the decision of the Supreme Court for legislating a law for the fishermen should be implemented.

Meanwhile, speaking at a news conference at the press club, the fishermen operating at the upstream of Indus river have complained of exploitation at the hands of contractors.

They said that according to law the fishermen were entitled to 66 per cent of the catch and the contractors were entitled to 33 per cent. They said that they were forced by the contractor and officials of the fisheries department to sell their catch to certain selected dealers.

They said that in this way, they were being paid only half the price of their catch. Quoting examples, they said that the price of a certain species of fish in the open market was Rs240 per kg but fishermen were being paid only Rs170 per kg.

They said that the other species which were sold at Rs150, Rs160 and Rs30 per kg in the open market, the fishermen were paid Rs110, Rs30 and Rs10 per kg, respectively.