Marine pollution, over fishing and poor hunting practices pulled down marine resources in the country's seawaters over the past few decades, experts said on Thursday. Experts at the inauguration ceremony of a long-line fishing boat and distribution of iceboxes, which the WWF-Pakistan under "Sustainable Fisheries Entrepreneurship: A Citizen Based Approach to Saving Pakistan's Unique Marine Environment," in Ibrahim Hyderi, said that trainings and capacity building programmes for fishermen can help scale back dwindling fish stocks to increase livelihood opportunities for the coastal communities.
The project initiated in July 2016 to aide fishermen communities with improving capacities and providing alternative livelihood opportunities in three coastal union councils of Karachi including Ibrahim Hyderi, Rehri Goth and Mauripur is supported by the Engro Foundation. It has helped in minimizing by-catch of endangered and threatened species and post-harvest losses besides promoting sustainable fishing practices.
The event also discussed one of the major challenges that the communities are faced with including the increasing spillage of pollution and sewage into seawaters. The solid waste including organic from cattle colony (cow dung), humps of plastic from the city through drains, untreated water and its nuisance smell from Korangi industrial area and Port Qasim have significantly polluted the creek.
The high-level of pollution is depleting the fisheries resources regularly, which is directly impacting livelihood fishermen communities highly dependent on fisheries. Jahangir Piracha, CEO Engro Vopak said that "sustainability of fisheries resources is at the heart of Engro" focusing on providing a better life style to the local fishermen communities.
The Engro has been part of various environmental initiatives and in this regard has helped revive 5000 hectares of mangroves in Port Qasim and surrounding areas, he said, adding that mangroves are not only the good source of sustenance of people but also provide nursery grounds for different fish species. He lauded fishermen for rescuing and releasing of the endangered species back into waters. He pledged to continue support to the fishermen communities through various skill development and education programs across Sindh.
Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General WWF-Pakistan said that the coastal communities of Pakistan are confronting reduction in livelihood opportunities. He said that the illegal fishing practices coupled with sea pollution are not only threatening fish stocks but other endangered marine life which is also vanishing from the oceans.
He informed that capacity-building programme and awareness sessions with local fishers have resulted in protection of endangered and unique marine species including dolphins, sunfishes, whale sharks and other important marine life. He emphasized on educating the youth of coastal communities, who can play a pivotal role in conservation of marine resources. He termed the pollution a 'major' cause of degradation of marine resources and called for innovative solutions to end the problems.