Fish Harbour to remain closed from July 1: KFHA

Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) on Thursday announced that all key facilities at fish harbour will remain closed from July 1 to July 31 due to the annual fishing ban. Officials told Business Recorder that the harbour would not allow landing of inland and marine seafood during the ban period.
The Customs authorities will not issue port clearance documents for outgoing fishing vessels after June 15 till new fishing season. The KFHA has warned the fisheries stakeholders not to take part in any kind of activities of selling or buying of fish/shrimp during the ban season, or face the catch confiscation or penalty. The authority can also cancel fishing license, registration of boat and export registration of ban violators, they said.
The seafood processors will have to ensure the ban by not buying fishery product from July 1 to July 31. The processors have been asked to declare their existing fisheries stocks piled up in their respective chill rooms on June 30 2012, they said.
They said a meeting of KFHA officials ahead of the ban season was held at fish harbour to review the government's policy on fisheries and evolve a plan to impose restriction on fisheries stakeholders in July. Presiding over the meeting, Managing Director, KFHA, Abdul Ghani Jokhio informed the officials that the authority had held scores of sittings in the last two months to make a strategy to enforce the laws banning use of illegal fishing nets, and ensure the July ban at fish harbour, officials said.
They said the meeting decided to disallow any mesh below 55 mm size for fishing in the sea from fresh season in August this year. At the meeting, Jokhio appreciated Marine Fisheries Department (MFD), Fishermen Co-operative Society (FCS) Sindh Trawlers Owners and Fishermen Association (STOFA), Maritime Security Agency (MSA), Coast Guards, Mole-holders, bona fide fishermen for their support to evolve the a policy in this regard. Director General, MFD, Shaukat Hussain hoped that joint efforts to implement the law of banning certain size of nets and ensure the July fishing restrictions will help the country sustain its seafood growth, officials said.
Joint inspection teams consisting of Fisheries Department, KFHA, MSA, Coast Guards, STOFA and fishermen representatives will monitor the activities and work round the clock to ensure the implementation of seasonal ban and use of illegal nets. The code-end net will be available for fishermen in the next fishing season starting from August 2012 and only fishing boats carrying approved net will be allowed for fishing, officials said.