KARACHI: Illegal undersized fishing in the coastal parts of Balochistan is on the rise, as fisheries experts and a segment of fishermen on Thursday called the trend “threatening” to the marine species. A fisherman, made a video of the dead species that showed a pile of fish that consisted of undersized species caught in Ormara area of Balochistan.
He also showed a thin fishing net used unabatedly by fishermen, which is illegal according to Balochistan fisheries law. “Fish stocks in Somiani and Damb have wiped out,” a fisherman said that therefore boats sail into Ormara, Basool, Kund Malir waters for undersized fishing.
Fishermen bring the illegal juvenile fish catches from Ormara, Basool and Kund Malir to Damb and Somiani since both coastal areas are left with no stocks, he said. “If this trend of illegal fishing of undersized fish continued, then there would be nothing left and the sea would be barren,” he feared.
Meantime, the Assistant Director Marine Fisheries, Sub-District Lasbella, Balochistan, issued a notice to fishermen warning them of a legal action if found guilty of using banned fishing nets. The notice said: “This act is also harmful for the area fishermen and is illegal as per law.”
Commenting on the video also made available to him, Technical Advisor Marine Fisheries at WWF-Pakistan, Muhammad Moazzam Khan told Business Recorder that the mesh size, which was used in fishing of undersized fish, looks below one centimetre. He said: “this net is prohibited for fishing. Their hunt is dreadful for the sea,” adding that if the caught juvenile fish were let to grow during the key summer season, it would have benefited their entire reproduction circle.
A majority of fishermen particularly in Somiani coastal area of Balochistan employ such thin nets for fishing, he said, that the undersized catch looks either juvenile fish or part of sea habitat. This is a crucial period for fish, which are naturally cold-blooded species, to grow eight times bigger than their growth in winter, he said adding that if they were left for a few more months they could attain a bigger size to fetch higher price.
“This trash catch will now be used for making fish meal,” Moazzam Khan said that there are 22 fish meal processing units in Damb and Winder. He said that the fish meal that will be produced from this catch is expected to be of a very poor quality.
This trash will be sold maximum at Rs15 to Rs20 per kilogram to factories, he said, adding “it is an atrocity.” He urged the Balochistan government to take action against culprits and confiscate the banned nets.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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