KARACHI, March 2: “Fishermen may block deep-sea trawlers and set them on fire, for these vessels are actually killing machines eliminating fish and their habitat and will eventually push fishermen and their families into starvation.

This was stated by Chairman Fisher folk Forum, Muhammad Ali Shah, while briefing newsmen at the Korangi Fish Harbour where more than two dozen deep-sea trawlers are anchored.

Mr Shah showed the massive nets and machines through which these trawlers drag nearly every floating thing but dispose off the majority of their catch and keep the target fish only, due to limited storage capacity.

“Fishermen say they have seen a large number of dead fish, big and small, that are valuable in the local market, floating in open sea. Obviously they were disposed off by the trawlers,” said Mr Shah.

He said when the deep-sea policy was formulated in 1982, deep-sea trawlers were allowed to operate in EEZ limits only, but the recently formed National Fishing Board had issued licenses for fishing in continental waters also.

Mr Shah said: “These trawlers have 1 to 3-km-long strong nets, some are even pulled by two trawlers, as a result fish and their habitat will eventually cease to exist in our waters. These foreign-based trawlers will leave the country but what will happen to our families and our future?

Fish do not breed, feed and stay continuously at one stop for the whole year, therefore the argument that trawling at continental limits or EEZ will not affect the local industry is baseless.”

He further said that it had been observed and reported to the authorities that the trawlers were fishing beyond their limits, close to the coasts, but no measures in that regard had been taken by the Maritime Security Agency so far.

He added that despite repeated attempts no official information was provided on the total number of trawlers operating in the country or the record of their catch.

Mr Shah appealed to the president, the governor Sindh and the chief minister to take action in this regard.—PPI