The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has suggested that a study should be conducted to determine the minimum Indus flow downstream Kotri Barrage considering all aspects of current degradation of Indus delta and its impact on fish.
According to the KCCI Research and Development Cell report of fishing sector, 80 percent of the edible fish in the oceans have been caught. It is the need of era to create such conditions in which, marine life will recover slowly.
This requires well-designed marine protection areas combined with global design of well-managed fishing. Laws are needed to transform oceans from their appallingly depleted state to a healthy condition, the report said. Further, Degradation of marine resources in our country has also contributed to reduced fish catch and depletion of fishery stock. Reduction in freshwater inflows has been adversely affecting the mangrove forests in Indus delta, it added. For this purpose, a minimum of 10 MAF of freshwater flow from Kotri Barrage is required. The requirement has already been agreed by all the four provinces in the Water Accord 1991 and should be assured to safeguard the ecology of Indus delta including its fertile land, fisheries, mangrove forest and other national resources, the KCCI research said.
The report suggested a continuous monitoring and study of pollutants discharge from coastal as well as inland areas, not only for the revival of marine fisheries resources, but also for the sustainability of inland fisheries resources. Further, it advised to enhance the capacity of existing treatment plants and recommended installation of modern treatment plants for industrial wastewater and raw sewerage, with the help of public private partnership.
The government of Pakistan has taken a number of steps to protect the marine resources in deep waters. Due to frequent poaching by deep-sea vessels in the territorial waters in the past a new amended deep-sea policy was introduced in 2001, which was further amended during 2006 by introducing buffer zone.
However, with the mandatory requirement of installation of satellite based Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), the deep sea vessels are unable to poach the marine resources in the buffer zone.
Deep sea trawling is injurious and is responsible for depletion of marine resources through eating away shrimp and small fish, especially the Indian Mackerel, while, Tuna catching by big liners using hooks, is actually a blessing, as it enhances the stock of shrimp and fish rather than depleting it.
Howeve, the report stressed on long line fishing. As per the report, long line gear is composed of a ground line, buoy lines, and ganglions, which are short pieces of line with hooks at the end.
Long lines are set along the seabed, with a baited hook every few yards. Long line hooks are retrieved one at a time. The fisherman can unhook other species of fish and return them live to the sea., which makes long line fishing a very selective process. Long line fishing is the only legal harvesting method for catching Tuna in the deep sea fishing area. So, Tuna catching should be encouraged by hook method only, and net catching, especially should not be allowed, it warned.