Karachi:
The Sindh government has prematurely raised its annual prohibition for coastal and freshwater fishing, which was originally to end on August 1. The ban was lifted from July 1 without any official explanation of the farming and peaches department, which issued the notification.
Under the prescription of the Sindh 1980 peaches, a two -month ban is imposed each year in June and July to allow the natural reproduction cycle of shrimp and fish. The prohibition plays an essential role in the protection of marine life and future fishing stocks. Experts from fauna and navy have expressed serious concerns concerning the environmental and economic consequences of the end of the prematurely ban.
According to WWF-Pakistan Technical Advisor, Muhammad Moazzam Khan, the production of Pakistani shrimp has already experienced a sharp drop of 27,000 tonnes in 2020 to only 17,400 tonnes in 2024. He noted that, according to international standards, a minimum prohibition of three months (from May to July) is recommended to guarantee complete reproduction. “Unfortunately, in the Sindh, even the two-month ban was not allowed to mature,” he said.
Khan warned that although the decision is justified in the name of supporting the means of subsistence of fishermen, the long -term result will be the exhaustion of marine resources, ultimately harming the same communities.
Fisherfolk representative, Abdul Majeed Motani, also opposed the early lifting of the ban, declaring that it was influenced by a powerful political figure of the Sindh government, and not by a real concern for the fishermen’s community. He added that fishing in this season is dangerous due to agitated sea conditions and claimed to have officially raised the problem with the maritime information and joint coordination center, warning them of risks both to marine life and to fishermen.
Meanwhile, the Federal Department of Maritime Fisheries also expressed its alarm as to the decision to end the ban prematurely. Director of the Department, Dr. Mansoor Wassan, said that the early ban would accelerate the decline in fish and shrimp stocks, negatively affecting Pakistan seafood exports.
The efforts of L’Express PK Press Club to contact the secretary of cattle and sindh fisheries, Kazim Jatoi, for an explanation remained unanswered. Whatsapp calls and messages sent to its official number also received no response.
