‘Pakistan’s diverse marine resources are being mismanaged and underutilised’

Experts say the govt’s apathy is partly to blame for the situation.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s coastal areas are so rich in marine resources that they could help the floundering economy. But one of the main roadblocks - the government’s apathy - means that they have yet to be milked of their full potential.

This view was shared by experts speaking at a three-day workshop on sustainable marine resources. The event, which began on Thursday, has been organised by the World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P) under its marine programme.

At the event, WWF-P’s senior director Dr Ejaz Ahmad said that Pakistan’s coastal areas have diverse marine resources which must be conserved through efficient management. “To achieve this, we should adopt standard practices which are used by other countries. We should also coordinate with neighbouring countries and form an alliance with them.”

According to the WWF-P, approximately 1,000 species of fish and 12 of cetacean - or marine mammals - are found in Pakistan’s waters. Unsustainable fishing practices, pollution and poorly planned development are the main threats to biodiversity.

WWF-P’s technical adviser on marine fisheries Moazzam Khan explained that there are 300,000 fishermen in Pakistan and 700,000 others are also associated with the trade. Pakistan exports seafood to 125 countries.

Freshwater resources are limited across the globe and there is a need to prevent the human footprint from making a mark on the world’s oceans, changing them forever, pointed out WWF-P’s director for Sindh, Rab Nawaz.



Shaukat Hussain, the marine fisheries department’s director-general, said that fisheries comprise one per cent of Pakistan’s GDP. “The government is taking efforts to stop destructive fishing gear and focusing on promotion of aquaculture. It is also taking measures to train stakeholders.” He said that limited raw material, decline in fish catch and uncontrolled fleet size hinder the growth of exports from the sector.

Paul Fanning, a chief technical adviser at the Food and Agriculture Organisation, said that more than 2,000 trawlers were being used by the country’s fishermen. The use of trawlers with small nets is considered illegal. “Excessive fishing has led to over-exploitation of marine resources.” He also said that the country’s law and order situation is preventing foreign investment in this sector.

Meher Marker Noshirwani, a technical adviser of the Trust for Conservation of Coastal Resources, said that coastal communities are vulnerable to effects of climate change and are devoid of basic amenities. She said that main problems which people living in the communities face are a lack of water and an alternate source of income. “The coastal communities are one of the poorest communities in Pakistan and livelihood resources are under threat of depletion.” She added that 71 per cent of the country’s marine resources are found in Sindh.

Faisal Iftikhar, the CEO of the Fisheries Development Board, criticised the government’s lax policies and apathy attitude towards marine resources. He said that Pakistan is the only country in the world where fishing is done throughout the year. According to Iftikhar, most fishermen in the country catch trash fish - or those species which are rare and hardly eaten. “Every fishing vessel brings 80 kilogrammes trash fish. Exporters have developed the fishing fleet to their advantage.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2013.