Strike at fish harbour

Karachi fish harbour remained closed on Saturday because of strike by the fishermen and boat captains in protest against the fresh incident of gunfire at Karachi boundboats by the officials in Balochistan waters. This is another strike call within a week, this time by the boat captains and crew, who trawl in the Balochistan waters, to press the government for their protection from the harassment by the officials and gunfire incidents by the mafia there, according to the fishermen.
The strike kept the harbour without business activities whole day and auction halls were completely shut, as buyers were nowhere around there. Private businesses like tea and food restaurants also suffered badly. About 50 fishing boats are waiting at Karachi fish harbour for landing their seafood catch into auction halls for the last 24 hours. There are fears that worth million of rupees catch could stale if its landing is further delayed.
On Friday, the boat owners formally announced to end the 18-day strike after their talks with Sindh fisheries minister Zahid Ali Bhurgari. However, sources in the fisheries sector claimed that the crew and boat captains refused to voyage for fear of insecurity on Balochistan waters, and they want official guarantee in writing, before sailing.
The fresh incident of firing at fishing boats in Jiwani prompted them on Saturday to go on an indefinite strike until the Balochistan government assure them security. Sources said that there are about 20,000 crews, including the boat captains are reluctant to trawl in Balochistan waters.
Announcements through mosques were also made in afternoon for the support of the strike in harbour and tacitly warned the owners of the seafood factories of consequences if intended to buy the catch. The boat owners earlier had been reluctant but later announced their support to the strike while the ice suppliers in the harbour had already extended their support, saying that the fishermen and boat captains' demand is justified.
Talks were reported between the boat owners and Sindh fisheries department and there were hopes that the strike may end the same evening. Fishermen criticised the Administrator for Fishermen Co-operative Society (FCS) for lack of interest in solving the long-standing issue.
They demanded of the government to deploy maritime security agency also in the Balochistan waters to protect the Sindh-bound trawlers and aboard crew from firing and loot. There are different groups involved in money extortion in Balochistan waters dominating their respective areas, which are completely unknown to the Sindh-bound trawling boats and get entrapped.
"These groups have their agents here in harbour who collect extortion money from all boats aim to voyage on Balochistan waters," said a fisherman at harbour. Every boat owner has to pay between Rs 40,000 and Rs 70,000 per trip to the mafia in Balochistan waters and if any of them fails to do so, the owner will have to face incident like firing and looting of their seafood catch along with diesel and other fuel, he said.
Further, the officials of the Balochistan fisheries department also confiscate the seafood catch, diesel and imposed huge fines, which could be up to Rs 600,000 from a single boat if found guilty of violating the sea barriers of 12 nautical miles from the coast, he added.
Earlier, fishermen and boat captains staged a demonstration rally against the Balochistan fisheries department for its stern actions against the Sindh-bound boats and crew, demanding a guarantee on foolproof security. There is no association of these 20,000 crew and boat captains to fight their case.