THATTA, Oct 25: In violation of a ban on transporting fish catch out of four union councils of the Badin district, more than 60 vans loaded with fish are being transported to Karachi daily.

This was stated by a group of fishermen while talking to this correspondent at the Thatta Press Club on Monday.

The fishermen said they had been protesting against atrocities committed against them in Badin and Thatta districts.

They said they would widen the scope of protests if Rangers continued fishing and FIRs were not registered against personnel who had tortured fishermen.

They said 15,000 fishermen had migrated due to atrocities committed by law enforcement agencies.

They demanded contracts of fishing allotted to outsiders be cancelled and given to local fishermen.

It may be mentioned in 1977 the government had demarcated an area adjoining its border with India for security purposes. The area includes four lakes and 35 to 54 nautical miles in the Pakistani territorial waters in the Arabian Sea.

Later, law-enforcing agencies acquired 17 more lakes including Nareri, Sanhcro, Gongro and New Creek without the consent of the Sindh fisheries department. The agencies started leasing lakes to private contractors violating the Fisheries Ordinance 1980.

They said the fish catch which had been 200 tons per vessel in 1992 had dropped to 75 tons per vessel in 1998.

There were about 79 to 75 big settlements of fishermen scattered in Badin coastal belt alone.

Meanwhile, elected representatives and leaders of different political and social organizations have called for restoration of fishermen's right over their traditional source of livelihood.

Talking to this correspondent on Monday, MNA Mohammad Ali Malkani, MNA Ayaz Ali Shah Shirazi, MPA Sassui Palijo, MPA Humaira Alwani, the district president of the People's Party Parliamentarians, Mr Masood Mustafa Shah, the chief of the Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party, Dr Qadir Magsi, and the chairman of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Mr Mohammad Ali Shah, condemned the raid conducted by Rangers on Bux Ali Mallah village in Badin district.

They said the fishermen of the Sindh coast had been compelled by Rangers to keep their boats anchored off the shore on different pretexts.