Voicing concerns: Fishermen decry Coast Guard’s demeaning attitudes
The officials allegedly harass fishermen for documents before they leave in the morning.
The officials allegedly harass fishermen for documents before they leave in the morning. PHOTO: EPA
KARACHI:
The fishermen community, under the umbrella of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), held a protest demonstration against the Pakistan Coast Guards outside Karachi Press Club on Thursday.
The Pakistan Coast Guards have started checking the boats’ crews for registration documents, including permits issued by the Karachi Port Trust and Karachi Fish Harbour Authority, fishermen’s crew cards, income tax documents, crew list and driving licences, before they leave for fishing in the morning each day. The protesters demanded the government stop the Pakistan Coast Guards from humiliating the fishermen for documents.
“We leave for the fishing grounds early in the morning at 4 or 5am and return just before sunset. Completing all these documents delays our work and we don’t get enough time to fish,” said Muhammad Ishaq, an old fisherman at the protest. “Our income and daily fish catch has reduced to less than half in the two months since the coast guard started checking for the crew lists.”
Ali, another fisherman, told The Express Tribune that the officials took bribes and also took a portion of their daily catch when they returned. “They ask for mobile phone cards and also take shrimps from our boats,” he said.
PFF general secretary Saeed Baloch told The Express Tribune that the fishermen depended on the sea for their livelihood and there was no justification for harassing and humiliating them.
“We have knocked at the door of every government agency and department but are still not heeded. If the problems of the fishermen are not resolved, we will be forced to block the Port Qasim channel with our boats and will not let any ship enter the harbour,” he said.
Baloch added that there was no income tax levied on the fishermen who fish on a daily basis and whose boats weigh less than 10 tons. The daily-based fishermen cannot make the crew list early in the morning as they go for fishing before the government offices open, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2013.
The fishermen community, under the umbrella of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), held a protest demonstration against the Pakistan Coast Guards outside Karachi Press Club on Thursday.
The Pakistan Coast Guards have started checking the boats’ crews for registration documents, including permits issued by the Karachi Port Trust and Karachi Fish Harbour Authority, fishermen’s crew cards, income tax documents, crew list and driving licences, before they leave for fishing in the morning each day. The protesters demanded the government stop the Pakistan Coast Guards from humiliating the fishermen for documents.
“We leave for the fishing grounds early in the morning at 4 or 5am and return just before sunset. Completing all these documents delays our work and we don’t get enough time to fish,” said Muhammad Ishaq, an old fisherman at the protest. “Our income and daily fish catch has reduced to less than half in the two months since the coast guard started checking for the crew lists.”
Ali, another fisherman, told The Express Tribune that the officials took bribes and also took a portion of their daily catch when they returned. “They ask for mobile phone cards and also take shrimps from our boats,” he said.
PFF general secretary Saeed Baloch told The Express Tribune that the fishermen depended on the sea for their livelihood and there was no justification for harassing and humiliating them.
“We have knocked at the door of every government agency and department but are still not heeded. If the problems of the fishermen are not resolved, we will be forced to block the Port Qasim channel with our boats and will not let any ship enter the harbour,” he said.
Baloch added that there was no income tax levied on the fishermen who fish on a daily basis and whose boats weigh less than 10 tons. The daily-based fishermen cannot make the crew list early in the morning as they go for fishing before the government offices open, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2013.