The Sindh government is set to relax the annual ban on catch of shrimps in June this year, despite strong opposition by the seafood exporters, who believe the move would endanger the crustacean existence in the country's seawaters. Seafood exporters told Business Recorder on Tuesday that they would soon issue their reaction after next Friday meeting, and likelihood to stop purchase of shrimp from fishermen during June and July.
They said that despite their continued protests, the Sindh government again lifted the ban this year, leaving their efforts meaningless. On the other hand, fishermen welcomed the relaxation in ban during June, saying that it would boost their livelihood prospects this year also as a large number of seafarers was unable to maintain their families in the ban months.
According to sources in the fisheries sector, the Sindh Fisheries Minister, Zahid Bhurgari, has moved a summary requesting the Chief Minister to relieve the ban on the catch of shrimp during June. They said the CM was not present in Karachi for his visit to Sukkur and hopefully with his return he would sign the summary and issue a notification to allow the fishermen to start catching shrimp.
"Zahid is taking keen interest in lifting of ban in June. However, he is reluctant to present a bill in the provincial assembly to abrogate the ordinance banning catch of shrimp in two months - June and July--every year," sources said. They said if the Sindh government lifted the ban this year, too, it would be consecutively the third year of ban relaxation. They added that fishermen were also pushing the government to carry out legislation to end the ban controversy for ever.
Talking to Business Recorder, President of Bona Fide Fishermen and Boat Owners Welfare Association Asif Bhatti expressed hope that the government would give a month's relaxation to fishermen to go deep-sea voyage and explore crustacean, besides fish in June.
He said the government should forgo the annual ban on shrimp catch during June and July through a faultless legislation and enable the fishermen to expedite their deep sea venture for seafood catch. He said the fishermen community had persuaded the Sindh Fisheries Minister to relax the ban despite strong criticism and protest by seafood exporters.
Bhatti hoped the opposing seafood exporters would not resist the government move this year and buy the million of rupees catch from fishermen in June unlike the previous years. He conceded that the seafood exporters' response to purchasing of catch from fishermen was poor.
Chairman of Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association [Pakfea] Faisal Iftikhar told Business Recorder that he had complained to Sindh Fisheries Minister for his efforts and support to lift the ban this year too. He confirmed that the government had moved the summary and was likely to relax the ban. He said that sea condition was changing and getting rougher with each passing day and the government at least for the protection of crewmembers of boats should ban the deep sea voyage, as lately two boats had collided with each other due to high tides and strong waves.
He said that some seafood exporting companies had issued their notifications to close their set-ups during the next two months for maintenance work and would not purchase the catch. He expected the other companies would also follow suit. He said the exporting companies were holding a meeting next Friday to draw future line of action. Faisal regretted that the government had failed to recognise the fact of preserving the marine edible species and impose the ban strictly during the two important months. He said the exporters would not stage protest demonstration against the ban lift. However, they would send their concerns to the authorities.
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