Sindh government has imposed the annual ban on deep-sea hunting from Sunday (July 1st) and will continue till July 31 in Sindh. The one month restriction is aimed to help fish and shrimp species undergo their breeding in the Arabian Sea, officials said on Saturday.
The thousands of big and small wooden fishing vessels have returned to moorage at harbour and close to tiny islands of Keamari just before the ban had to begin. The sea remains rough with high tides during July every year. "Nearly, 3,000 small and big fishing boats will remain moored at fish harbour and tiny islands of Keamari for a month as the last boats, which had sailed for fishing earlier have also come back to the shores," fishermen said.
According to the Sindh government the fishing ban will begin from July 1, as no fishing boats will officially be allowed to voyage through the rough Arabian Sea until the dawn of July 31. Fishermen generally sail with fishing trawlers towards the waters of Gadani, Ormara, Pasni and Gawdar on a month-long longer trip. But, the small boats just go out about 22 nautical miles into the Karachi waters on a day-trip to return the harbour before the dusk.
However, the seafarers complain that some 4,000 families are dependent on the fishing sector and are always feared to suffer from the annual ban as they have no other alternative source of income. During this period, seafarers will also start repair work on their boats for the next annual fishing season which begins every year on August 1.
Fishermen also informed Business Recorder that they will carry out revamping of their big fishing boats at the harbour during the closed period. Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) strongly recommends the fishing ban for two months while some seafood exporters advocate the Indian model of ban, which remains for three months (May 15 to August 15) every year.
MFD on the basis of its surveys argues that during June and July period, the breeding of shrimp and fish takes place in the Swatch area of Sindh. However, the Provincial Fisheries Minister Zahid Ali Bhurgari disagrees with such a notion. He is of the view that the breeding of shrimp takes place whole year in the sea. The government has already warned that those violated the ban will be heavily penalised and the restriction is meant for entire province including on fresh water and inland fishing.