Karachi-based fishermen go on strike against Balochistan govt

KARACHI: The fishermen of Karachi have decided to go on an unannounced strike, as calling for a complete ban on entry of Balochistan’s boats into Sindh waters, especially Karachi Fish Harbour in a tit for tat policy of the neighbouring province.

Dozens of fishermen staged a protest after Balochistan government officially got two boats from Karachi confiscated and crewmembers convicted into one year prison with a fine of Rs300,000. The fishermen displayed banners with several demands.

“It is a strike,” of the fishermen at Karachi Fish Harbour, Nosherwan, General Secretary of All Mahigir Association was heard as telling to one of the protestors during a protest gathering in front of the Fishermen Cooperative Society’s head office.

Later, he told Business Recorder that two boats from Karachi were arrested by the Balochistan government, operating even beyond distance of 12 nautical miles.

The captured boats included: Al-Makha and Al-Nudia but he did not reveal that how many of the crewmembers were arrested and sentenced into prison. They, the Balochistan government, got these boats confiscated through court, he said adding that there seems a one country with two different laws for each province.

“The Balochistan government arrested the crewmembers and confiscated the boats,” Sarwar Siddiqui, Patron of Sindh Trawlers Owners and Fishermen Association (Stofa) told Business Recorder, saying that each of the arrested crewmembers, belonging to Karachi, was sentenced for one year in prison and fined for Rs300,000.

He said that the fishermen are going to announce a date for a complete strike against the confiscation of boats and arrest of the crew by the Balochistan government. He also claimed that the boats were captured beyond the 12 nautical miles of the provincial maritime line of Balochistan.

He said that boats from Balochistan avail all facilities at Karachi Fish Harbour, including repair, selling of fisheries catch, etc., unrestricted and indiscriminately on a regular basis, but their government has placed a ban on Sindh’s boats.

Earlier, speaking at the demonstration, Sarwar told the angry fishermen that a strike may cause a colossal loss to the entire fisheries sector that could be into billions of rupees. At least Rs10 billion losses will hit the fishermen sector if fishing boats remained moored at the Karachi Fish Harbour during the strike, which is expected to last for about 10 days.

He urged the charged fishermen for a solution of this lingering dispute between the Sindh and Balochistan governments over fishing, saying that: “the protest should be cancelled and the fishermen should resume the halted hunt operation”.

The fishermen leaders spoke to the protesters in a bitter tone against the Balochistan government following the boats and crewmembers’ arrest.

They asked the Sindh government to deny a complete entry to all boats of Balochistan into its territorial waters, Karachi Fish Harbour for discharge of catch, repair of vessels and other jobs in retaliation.

However, the speakers called upon the Balochistan government to revisit its hard-line policy towards Sindh’s fishing boats and let them enjoy the same facilities, which boats from its province enjoy at Karachi Fish Harbour, indiscriminately.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021