Anglers decry fishing permit fee hike

Anglers have expressed resentment over an increase in fishing permit fee from Rs300 to Rs1,000 by Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA).

Asif, an angler, said that the fee hike was unjust and claimed that it would discourage people from fishing. He urged the authorities concerned to review its decision and revive the previous permit fee.

A frequent fisher at Rawal Dam, Sajjad, was of the view that fishing is a leisure activity but the increase in permit fee has made it difficult for a person belonging to the middle-class to indulge in it.

He said that the dam is the only place for residents of the capital where they can go fishing, adding that it was one of the safer things to do during a pandemic. “The pandemic has changed a lot of our lives and we need to process its trauma and fishing is one way to do it while adhering to safety guidelines,” he added.

The ICT Fisheries Deputy Director Mazhar Ali shared that the fishing permit fee was reduced to Rs300 after being increased to Rs1,000 previously, following a summary question raised that was under consideration with the Ministry of Interior.

However, before its approval, the district administration announced a reduction in the permit fee. The summary was approved by the ministry recently in which it was termed that Rs300 is too low and directed to increase it back to Rs1,000.

The ministry said that there is no limit to the amount of fish the fishermen can catch in a day, therefore, the Rs1,000 permit fee was justified. The deputy director added that 12 to 14 staff members of the Fisheries department were deputed in three different shifts to supervise the fishing site and check permits.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2020.