Sindh Livestock and Fisheries department has sent recommendations to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, demanding to "delegate first class magisterial power to officers of Fisheries department to curb the fishing of small sized fish through banned nets," Business Recorder learnt on Monday.
Well-informed sources told this correspondent that authorities of Sindh Livestock and Fisheries department had sent some recommendations to the Apex Court while reviewing replying in HRC case number 30735-S/2012 filed by Nawab Ali. Framing the mechanism and strategy to curb the fishing of small sized fish through banned nets, authorities of Livestock and Fisheries department have sent recommendations to the SCP.
The copy of recommendations made available to the Business Recorder stated that:
---- to delegate first class magisterial power to officers of Sindh Fisheries Department (not below the grade of BPS- 18) of Karachi, Thatta and Badin to apprehend culprits and to decide cases on the spot to avoid retaliation / conflict during seizing of nets in the creeks and their transportation to Karachi for legal proceedings.
---- To make necessary amendments in the existing rules in this regard, as the existing rules have a lacuna in this context to arrest the culprits and to burn their banned nets having smaller mesh on the spot.
---- Administrative department would approach to Registrar, Sindh High Court and Home department for conferring judicial powers to officers to arrest culprits and to seize the nets during transportation or possessing such nets and destroy /burn the net on spot.
---- Involve Fisherman Community Association to play their role in this regard.
---- Invoking provisions of the existing law and in absence of such law, specific provisions would be framed to cork down such illegal practices of fishing through ban nets.
---- Registration of fisherman and fishing boats would be made in the creeks and coastal areas.
---- Administrative department may approach to the Maritime Security Agency to provide the Indian confiscated seaworthy boats having onboard winch on Superdari basis to use same for surveillance purposes.
Confirming this information, Secretary Livestock and Fisheries department Syed Abid Ali Shah told Business Recorder that not only those but Apex Court had been recommended that "existing Directorate of Marine Fisheries which has been created with the mandate to make surveillance and conservation measures in the creeks and coastal area may be strengthened and logistic support along with required funds might be provided.
It was also recommended to deploy the fisheries' staff at the MSA coastguard check posts and police pickets to check and confiscate the transportation of nets of smaller size of mesh, he added.
He said he was striving hard to take the department on the right path of serving the fisherman community and for the growth of livestock and fisheries sector in the province.
He said livestock and fisheries sector was like a backbone of Sindh's economy because if that sector would flourish, people of the province would get more ways of earning better bread and butter for their lives.