GWADAR: Fishermen of Jiwani and adjacent areas staged a sit-in outside the fisheries department’s office in Jiwani town against illegal fishing by trawlers in the sea near Balochistan’s areas.

Leaders of the National Party, including Manzoor Baloch and Haroon Sahir, and the Balochistan Awami Party participated in the protest sit-in that continued for several hours.

The protesting fishermen alleged that the fisheries department had issued illegal cards to fishermen hailing from other provinces, saying that it was an injustice with local fishermen because it had snatched their livelihood.

Addressing the protesters, Jiwani Fishermen Union’s leader Ghulam Nabi, Master Elahi Bakhsh, National Party leader Manzoor Baloch said that the influx of illegal trawlers was continuing at the coast of Jiwani. They said they had informed the local administration and fisheries department about their reservations and also recorded their protest.

They said taking notice of the situation, the commissioner of Makran division visited Jiwani after which the fishermen ended their protest. They said the fisheries department had ignored the directives of the commissioner and local administration and provided shelter to illegal fishermen.

They said illegal trawling had increased at Jiwani’s coast and it was depriving the local fishermen of their livelihood. The influx of fishermen from other provinces had doubled the miseries of local fishermen, they added.

They warned that if their demands were not accepted and illegal trawling was not stopped they would widen their protest, adding that the fisheries department and district administration would be responsible.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2019