A large number of female fishers, peasants and young people hailing from different coastal villages of the Badin district participated in the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum's (PFF) rally on Saturday to mark World Food Day.
PFF chairperson Muhammed Ali Shah, programmes manager Jamil Junejo, Maria Soomro, Mithan Mallah, Omar Mallah, Sajan Mallah and others led the rally. People carrying banners and placards were shouting slogans to promote farming and fishing to save sources of livelihood.
A majority of the participants were from families of traditional small-scale fishermen, farmers and herders, who are facing threats to their lives and sources of income. Shah said that Badin may be wiped from the face of the earth because of the government's ignorance.
He added that the district, which was once home to scenic lakes, wetlands and natural waterways, was turning into barren lands and brackish lakes with no attraction for birds and wildlife species. Community leader Mithan Mallah said that the trend of migration was increasing among the communities because of depleting natural resources and unending sea intrusion. He called upon the government authorities to redress the plight of the people to avoid uncertainty.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2014.
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