The Sindh government is all set to place a strict and complete ban on fishing during June and July this year to protect the falling fish and shrimp stocks. Fishery officials said on Wednesday that Pakistan continued to suffer a seafood export decline due to low catch, as the country's fisheries trade slumped by over five percent to $240.108 million from $253.497 million in the last nine months.
"Nearly 95 percent of the stakeholders want a complete ban on fishing in June and July this year and will resist any concessions allowing the fishermen to hunt during the ban period," President, Sindh Trawlers Owners and Fishermen Association (Stofa), Habibullah Khan Niazi, said.
However, President, Native Islanders Fishermen Association (Nifa), Asif Bhatti, dismissed the government move to ban fishing for two months in the open seas. "Ban should be in creeks to protect shrimp from early hunting and should not apply to open sea fishing," he added. Officials said that Sindh Fisheries Department Secretary Muhammad Ramazan Awan had already dispatched a letter to the Sindh Chief Minister to ensure a "strict and complete" ban during the next two months. They said that the government was unlikely to extend any concession on political basis to fishermen to hunt during the ban period this year.
"Time is running out and the government has to end its tradition of fishing ban relaxation for once just to help underpin the scaling down fishery stocks, as the landing of major fish and shrimp species has been falling for the last several years," Niazi said, warning that the country might lose its valuable marine fisheries. He said that Sindh had a law in place for a two-month fishing ban to ensure a smooth breeding of marine species, besides letting seas to relax from the entire year hunting. "Continuous hunting has brought a phenomenal fall in main fish species like white pomfret, surmai, yellow and blue fin tuna," he said.
"Fishing ban in June and July in open seas is not acceptable to the fishermen since it hurts them financially," Asif Bhatti said, adding that the government should improve its writ to ban hunting of shrimps in creeks that was being done with illegal nets. He said that fishing ban was always imposed through Karachi Fish Harbor and the fishermen of other coastal parts were never restricted.
He termed the fishing ban in June and July as "extremely wrong" step, saying that the move was against the financial gains of fishermen community of Baba and Bhit islets. He said that the Sindh Chief Minister had announced a package of Rs 25 million for the fishermen of the two islands and Shamspir, besides Rs 15 million to the seafarers of Lyari to protect them financially during a ban period but the package was never provided.
The country's seafood export volume dropped by 7.30 percent or 7,238 metric tons to 91,965 metric tons in July-March 2015-16 from 99,203 metric tons in the same period last fiscal year.
In March 2016, the country's seafood export however posted an increase of five percent or $1.302 million to $27.863 million from $26.561 million in March 2015. In terms of quantity, seafood export in March 2016 grew by over eight percent or 876 metric tons to 11,358 metric tons from 10,482 metric tons, official statistics suggest.
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