Fishermen demand lake back from contractor

Fishermen, women protest contractual system they claim is depriving them of their livelihood.

KARACHI: A colourful rally of fishermen and women was held to protest the contractual system that the community claimed was depriving them of their livelihood.

The community staged a demonstration at the major Narreri Lake, situated at the mouth of Rann of Kuchh, Badin district, according to a statement issued by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), an organisation working for the rights of fishermen in Pakistan.

The rally aimed to mobilise the community to take to the streets against the contractors, who have deployed armed men at the lake and are preventing them from fishing.

The condition of Narreri Lake has been deteriorating in the past several years because it is not getting any freshwater. As a result, hundreds of families have either migrated or changed their profession from fishing to something more viable.

The rally on Monday at the embankment of a drain along the lake was part of a campaign launched by PFF.

PFF chairperson Mohammed Ali Shah said there is no justification for taking control of the water since the superior courts had said only fishermen have the right to catch fish from here. The authorities should not award contracts to any outsiders because it has a negative impact on the residents.

He condemned the recent decision to refresh the old contract to an influential local person.

The campaign will continue till December 28. Protesters said that out of 1,209 water sources in the province, 300 are under the control of influential local persons.

The fishermen complained that their sources of water have become dumping grounds for industries and urban neighbourhoods, which release poisonous waste into the waters. Local landlords and influential people take control of the water bodies and either force the fishermen to leave the area or to sell their fish at throwaway prices.

The aim of the PFF campaign is to stage rallies, organise seminars and hold dialogues with the officials of district government officials and political influentials to safeguard the rights of the fishermen. Press Release

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2010.