Testing troubled waters not an option for catch-less fisher folk

HYDERABAD: Fishermen are forced to head back home with a small haul or no catch at all as going too far into the stormy seas poses deadly risks to their lives as well as the means of their livelihood.

By retreating today, they will be able to return to the sea another time and claim their fair share of the catch as they are not fishing for compliments but to make ends meet. Nevertheless, this means they have fallen on hard times that usually send them reeling in a spiral of pinching/scraping, indebtedness, frustration, etc.

There is a three-day forecast of heavy rains with strong winds along the 350 kilometer coast of Sindh and other neighbouring areas. Once again, fisherfolk have been very strongly advised to keep their boats moored during those 72 hours. 

As always, ahead of the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, a large number of boats crammed with crews had already left their traditional jetties (landing sites) to catch the most out of the potential fishing grounds along the coast. They have not been out there for long when a flurry of reports came pouring in that weather has started becoming inhospitable for the fishermen.

According to fishermen, it is the seawater being influenced by the gravity of the earth. They believe it can not only destroy their vessels but also their lives.

Hence, more and more of fishing boats are returning home ahead of Eid. They have no other livelihood than fishing and this natural phenomenon bring nothing but hardship.   Senior fishermen call this abnormal weather a risk and warn the crews to move back instantly to safety.

Community elders, in different coastal areas, say it is the changing phenomenon. They expect that despite heavy rains and strong winds may the sea will remain calm and situation normalised. Otherwise, they say, it is a new emerging weather, which they used to observe during the months of May and June and in rare cases in July or at the end of August.

There is no strong warning system at the government institutions to inform the fishermen at their boats in the open seas. Only a few aware people have maintained a wireless/radio system at their boats to stay alert and help others in a situation arises.

Despite much advancement in communication systems, the fishing folk here still rely on traditional signs, like reading the stars for directions or keeping an eye the colour of the sky. Since this phenomenon occurs rarely, some young and bold crews don’t find it intimidating at first but get struck by fear, when they experience the relentless forces of nature at work in the stormy sea.

There is no exact data of registered boats operating in the entire province, including Karachi Fish Harbour (KFH), but activists say there are no more than 8000 boats of all sizes are in business in the coastal areas of the country. None of the tall government claims regarding installing warning systems, GPS, and linking all the registered boats, have materializes as yet. The community people have much to say against the concerned authorities about their giving a deaf ear and a blind eye to the plight of the fishermen, who are vulnerable at the face of threats of high waves and developing storms of different nature in the sea.  In some conditions fishermen take their boats to the channels in the mangroves forests where they stay safe in any embarrassing situation. 

Senior fishermen looking to the prolonged low wind pressure and rise in temperature ahead believe the phenomenon indicates the high waves may create problems for the coastal villages located in low-lying area. 

To the fishing community, Eid-ul-Azha is a prosperous occasion on which they fare into the open sea earlier for a catch, but this year the waters are too troubled for them to cast their nets.