KARACHI, March 7: Marine life is on the brink of disaster. And so are the fishermen’s lives. The situation is more serious in Sindh because of the persistent and widespread use of illegal nets. Unlike Balochistan, fishermen here have never managed to form a united front to safeguard their livelihood and reject the use of harmful fishing methods.
These were some of the important points highlighted at a national symposium organised by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) at a local hotel on Wednesday.
The programme was held to get input from government officials on a proposed draft for a fishing policy prepared by fishermen’s representatives with consensus in earlier workshops.With fast-depleting catch in the waters off the Sindh coast, it is high time that fishermen thought about their survival in the near future. At the same time, the government needs to promote small-scale sustainable fishing, ban deep-sea and bottom trawling immediately and phase out commercial fishing in order to conserve what is left in the seas.
The document would also be submitted to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which has undertaken a global initiative to prepare voluntary guidelines on sustainable small-scale fisheries, particularly for third world countries in the context of food security and poverty alleviation.
Giving a presentation on the proposed draft, Mustafa Gurgaze, representing the PFF, defined the concept and specifications of boats carrying out small-scale fishing as mutually agreed and put forward by fishermen for both inland and marine fisheries.
The draft also proposed sea limits for fishing being carried out for sustenance, livelihood and commercial purposes. Regarding fishermen’s responsibilities, Mr Gurgaze said that there was a consensus among fishermen that they would not use harmful methods for fishing, which included practices that kill endangered species of turtles.
“Fishermen agreed to a two-month ban on marine fishing in June and July, but want compensation from the government duringthis period. They also believe that they should follow hygienic methods for handling catch,” he said, adding that they also agreed that juvenile fish should be released back into the sea and cutting of mangroves should be prevented.
The fishermen acceded to targeted and seasonal fishing and to make efforts to keep the sea clean, he said.
No fishing policy
About government obligations, the draft proposed that the government respect, protect and secure the rights of traditional fishermen. “There has never been a fishing policy in the country. In fact, fishing is still being regulated through different ordinances in Pakistan which only focus on commercial fishing. In the case of Punjab, it’s surprising that fishing is still being regulated through an ordinance dating back to the days of West Pakistan,” said Mr Gurgaze.
The fishermen, he maintained, also wanted the government to restrict the ownership of fishing boats and allow one family to have only one boat. “The government needs to provide basic facilities for education and health to fishermen and allocate an employment quota for them in the relevant government departments,” he said.
The draft also proposed that the government adopt a mechanism with India and Iran for swift release of fishermen who were caught on either side of the border while fishing.
It also raised the issues of contamination of water bodies and illegal control of lakes by influential people and urged the government to implement the law in letter and spirit.
During the question-answer session, Saeed Baloch, also representing PFF, expressed concern over clearance required from multiple departments for boat registration and asked the provincial government to take over the job.
Minister for fisheries Zahid Ali Burghari informed the audience about the progress made by the government in the fisheries sector — for instance the abolition of the contract system, construction of homes for fishermen at Lake Manchhar, modification of 500 boats and provision of safe drinking water in coastal villages.
“Efforts are also being made to address concerns of the European Union regarding our products and initiate a dialogue on fishermen’s detention,” he assured the audience which largely comprised members of fishing communities.
While the minister acknowledged that fish landing had greatly reduced and between 4,000 and 5,000 illegal nets were being used, he expressed his inability to implement the law unless he received support from fishermen.
“It’s your duty to protect your bread and butter,” he remarked.
Abdul Ghani Jokhio, managing director of the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority, urged fishermen to understand their long-term interests and stop using banned nets. Not only was there a need for a complete two-month ban on fishing, but fishermen alsoneeded to know the season to catch a specific fish, he observed.
Paul Fanning, chief technical advisor of the FAO project in Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Shah, chairperson of the PFF, Ansar Hashmi, deputy director of the marine fisheries department, and Mohammad Noor, director of the Balochistan fisheriesdepartment, also spoke.