Terrorist attacks: fishermen concerned about unregistered boats

Fishermen of the tiny islands are concerned about the unregistered boats plying inside the seaport channel could be used for terrorist attacks on Pakistan's navy ships, its sensitive installations, Karachi harbour and foreign cargo and oil vessels which could endanger their lives. They urged the government to immediately crack down on unregistered boats plying inside the navigational channel.
During a visit to Baba and Bhit Islands of Keamari, fishermen made known their apprehensions to Business Recorder that a large number of unregistered boats which the unknown people operate inside the channel posing threats of terror and plunder activities to their unsafe islands.
A view from these islands also suggests that the sensitive strategic installations and Karachi port should be more protected from all directional terror activity. Similarly, these Islands have no external security shields which have over 20,000 population mainly linked to the profession of fishing.
Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) had announced the boats registration with it during October this year also asked the Marine Security Agency (MSA) not allow any unregistered boats for sailing, but failed to enlist about 2,200 boats, which ply inside the seaport channel, according to sources in the fisheries sector.
There are about 17,000 boats on the Sindh coastal belt sailing through sea from Keti Bandar to Karachi fish harbour. Some 4,300 boats are registered with Mercantile Marine Department out of which only 2,100 are registered with KFHA while the rest is plying as unknown, sources said.
Talking to Business Recorder, President Bona Fide Fishermen and Boat Owners Welfare Association, Asif Bhatti alleged KFHA for showing apathy in registering the unknown boats while the sea security has already become urgent. He alleged the MSA for unnecessarily bothering the bona fide fishermen and overlooking those boats which have no identifications as each such boat takes a large number of people on board to travel across the seaport channel on a daily basis.
"These boats sailors do not belong to the fishermen community of the islands and coastal areas," he said, adding that the KFHA and MSA have always taken actions against the genuine fishermen on the pretext of "discriminatory laws." Such laws, he said, have never been applied to the fishermen of other coastal area although their shrimp and fish catch is also sold on Karachi harbour.
The Karachi based fishermen have also been heavily taxed, which is unfair. The KFHA is delaying the boat registration process, which is creating discontent among the fishermen who live on these very unsafe islands. Asif demanded of the federal government to make the authority begin the registration process immediately.