KARACHI, March 20: Fisheries officials are worried over old conflicts surfacing again between small fishermen and deep-sea fishing operators, it is reliably learnt here.
The recent rallies held by the small fishermen, pressing the federal government to review its decision regarding deep-sea fishing and impose a complete ban on it, raised many questions and highlighted the importance of this old issue.
The small fishermen have always termed the operation of deep- sea trawlers highly disasterous for coastal economy of Sindh and Balochistan.
In support of their argument, they cited a recent downward trend in the fish catch which they attributed to the operation of deep-sea trawlers after lifting of ban.
The officials of the deep-sea trawlers, however, deny the charge, saying decline of the fish-catch had nothing to do with the operation of deep-sea trawlers as the zone of operation between the two sectors was quite different.
Under the new deep-sea fishing policy, the marine area has been divided into three zones. These are: zone-I between O and 12 nautical miles, zone-II (between 12 nautical miles and 35 nautical miles and zone-III (between 35 nautical miles and 200 nautical miles).
The fishing rights in zone-I have been reserved for traditional small scale fishermen of Sindh and Balochistan who can operate in this area, while zone-II is reserved for operation of medium-sized vessels.
The small fishermen had always expressed fears that the highly sophisticated medium-sized vessels would not only harm the local fishermen, but would jeopardise the already shattered marine environment.
They warned that such a policy would spell doom for nearly two million fishermen and their families in Sindh and Balochistan.
They have been urging the government not to allow the operation of deep-sea trawlers between 35 and 12 nautical miles from the shore.
Previously, the deep-sea fishing was allowed beyond 35 nautical miles of the shore but the small fishermen had urged government to impose a complete ban on the operation of deep-sea trawlers by cancelling all the licences issued by the government.
Though the new deep-sea fishing policy imposes tougher penalties on violators, the fisheries sources said an effective surveillance system be implemented properly.
They said it depended on the officials monitoring the fishing activities to enforce the rules efficiently and honestly. But at the same time these sources have also expressed certain reservations.
Under the new deep-sea fishing policy, not only heavier penalties for violating the rules were announced, mandatory installation of global positioning satellite was also made to ensure the deep-sea fishing trawlers operate within limits so as to avoid any conflict with smaller traditional fishermen.
However, the surfacing of old conflicts has perturbed the fisheries officials who are presently occupied with other issues, such as decline in fish catch and a fishing right dispute in Mekran between Sindh and Balochistan-based fishermen.