Two-month long no-catch period leaves: fisherfolk at the mercy of inflationary tides

HYDERABAD: A large number of fishing boats can be seen anchored at the traditional jetty of the old coastal town Keti Bunder in Thatta district, while crew members and boat masters look busy mending fishing nets and cleaning vessels.

It is the same scene at all the jetties along the 350 kilometre long coastline of Sindh. The government has imposed the yearly two-month ban on catching commercial shrimp on the local fishermen. June and July are considered the breeding season of shrimp.

Native Indigenous Fishermen Association (NIFA) President Asif Bhatti, who is a native of Bhit Island, Karachi, said as per the notification, the ban was on catching three species of shrimps, but practically the situation was different.

It seemed the ban was on all fishing activities, as fishermen stayed out of waters, he added.

“On normal days, a boat can bring a catch between 200kg to1,000kg, but large trawlers with huge nets can catch a really big quantity of fish ranging from 5,000kg to 10,000kg,” he informed.

This ban has been in place for years. Bhatti lamented that despite the fact that fishermen were the main stakeholders and natural custodians of the sea, the government did not consult them in making policy that affects their livelihood.

Coastal fishing communities live in urban areas of Karachi, and rural areas of Thatta, Badin, and Sujawal. However, all of them remain deprived of any socioeconomic development, education, health, and other civic facilities. They don’t even have access to clean drinking water, and have to arrange for the necessity via personal means.

Their condition deteriorates during the annual fishing ban, as they do not have alternative sources of livelihood. The fishermen had been idle in the days before the ban as well because of cyclone Vayu, which made it impossible for them to remain in the sea.

Community activists said the ban period was often extended up to three to four months due to rough waters in the sea during monsoon.

There are more than three million people associated with fishing directly or indirectly in Sindh. These poor workers do not have any other option, but to sit idle at home during this two-month ban.

Some fishermen take their small fishing nets and go to nearby beaches on bicycles or motorbikes to catch small fish for their own consumption or for selling to earn a little and ease their troubles.

Otherwise, the entire workforce of fishermen is sitting idle. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum General Secretary Saeed Baloch said there was no support from the provincial government to fishermen during the ban.

“Earlier, we repeatedly demanded the government to pay Rs5,000-Rs6,000 to each fisherman’s family, but all went in vain, as the authorities have never paid heed to the plight of poor workforce,” he added.

Now due to price hike, these fishing workers deserve reasonable amount. “We believe that the amount should not be less than Rs20,000/month for each family, so they can run their domestic affairs easily,” Baloch said.

Normally, these fishermen earn Rs3,000 to Rs8,000 as a share in each three-four day trip. They have to go for four to five trips every month and easily earn Rs30,000/month. “Looking at this, they must be paid proper compensation so they may live comfortably and sustainably,” the PFF GS said.

Baloch also works in Fishermen Cooperative Society (FSC), a welfare body for the community. He said around 4,000 boats of different sizes moved to the open sea from Karachi Fisheries Harbour (KFH) every day.

The total number might exceed 15,000 boats, as many operate from other different jetties, including Korangi Fish Harbour and other larger landing sites. Each boat carried eight to 25 crew members, depending on the boat size.

Community elders at Keti Bunder jetty calculated that the situation was different in different localities, depending on fish catch and boat capacity, but each crew member earned sufficient wages.

Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) Joint Director Zulfiqar Shah has also endorsed the demand of fishermen to pay compensation to the community workers, as they faced economic burden due to joblessness.

He said ban on catching shrimp should be sustained, but not the ban on catching other species, as the survival of fishermen and their families depended on it. The poor fishermen also bear huge losses during any threats of storm, cyclones and high tides, he added.

Trade union activists also expressed serious concern on increasing pollution in the sea and asked the concerned authorities to bring polluters under accountability to protect fish reserves and the marine ecosystem.

According to some reports Arabian Sea receives more than three million gallon industrial and municipal waste every day, depleting the number of fish. This pollution has caused loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer as well because marine species are finding it difficult to survive in toxic water.

Mangroves, the breeding grounds of shrimps are also facing extinction because of growing sea pollution. These toxic-laden mangrove trees also pose threats to marine life and humans.

Fishermen also pointed out the destruction caused by large fishing trawlers that use destructive nets. They pleaded that the factory trawlers were depleting fish due to overfishing and exploitation.

Fishermen, activists, and community people urge the government to formulate appropriate policies to counter overfishing and implement sustainable practices to save natural resources.