World Fisheries Day rally calls for ending feudal lords’ occupation of lakes

Marking World Fisheries Day, which is observed on November 21 every year, participants at a cultural rally on Sunday vowed to safeguard rights of the fishing community and demanded of the government to eliminate the occupation of freshwater bodies and lakes in the province by influential landlords and political personalities.

The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) had organised the rally that started from Regal Chowk and ended at the Karachi Press Club. Representatives of civil society, women and labour organisations participated in it along with a large number of fisher community members, including women, from various coastal districts and neighbourhoods.

The rally aimed at highlighting the social, economic and livelihood issues of the fishing community and demanded that the ruling parties make efforts for the betterment of the community.

Those who spoke to the rally included PFF Chairperson Mustafa Mirani, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research Executive Director Karamat Ali, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Co-Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt, National Trade Union Federation’s Nasir Mansoor, Aurat Foundation’s Mahnaz Rehman, PFF Senior Vice Chairperson Fatima Majeed, Vice Chairperson Yasmeen Shah and Secretary General Saeed Baloch.

They said that due to the wrong policies of the government, the fishing community had been facing a number of serious problems, including an increase in marine pollution, and unconventional and non-traditional fishing practices by use of destructive nets and deep-sea trawlers, which had ruined the ecosystem and drastically affected livelihood of fishermen.

The participants also demanded that the Sindh government restore fishermen's right to catch fish in the lakes and eliminate illegal occupation of all 1,209 freshwater lakes and ponds in the province.

World Fisheries Day is annually marked by the fishing communities worldwide. The fishing communities across the globe hold rallies, workshops, public meetings, cultural programmes, plays, exhibitions and music shows on the day to highlight the importance of maintaining the world's fisheries.