NEWS UPDATES Non-availability of scientific research dims future fishing prospects in Pakistan Pakistans commercial fisheries sector is perturbed over the changing weather pattern of seas, as the unavailable scientific marine research has dimmed the future fishing prospects for the local fishermen. Stakeholders say the government has no policies or scientific research to disseminate early warnings on changing marine weather to help the fisheries sector plan voyages towards precise direction to net maximum catch. At present, every fisherman goes unplanned to the sea to hunt fish and shrimp, they said, adding that the countrys commercial marine fisheries sector is following centuries old techniques of hunts. The government should precisely inform the fishermen of catch availability on the seas to save their operational costs and voyage span. Sometimes, we toil for being unaware of the catch presence on the sea and often we net the species which we largely dont plan to catch because we are unable to understand the effects of weather change on marine life, said President Native Islanders Fishermen Association, (Nifa), Asif Bhatti. He observed the fish species, which would exist on the sea in April or May, are found in other patches of the sea but in latter months. We request the government to provide us with latest warnings on sea patterns so that we could make our hunt plans in a better way, he said. Stakeholders believe the countrys seafood export could grow if the government employed scientific studies on the commercial fisheries sector to help it make huge annual catch without disturbing the marine life and the eco-system. Fishermen say their techniques are very much primitive but also destructive to marine life since they are using illegal small-sized nets to net fish and shrimp irrespective of their approved size. The use of illegal nets has also ruined the marine life, they acknowledged. Pakistan largely export shrimp of all kinds to world different markets, fish verities like cuttlefish, squid, Indian mackerel, red snapper, black and white pomfret, etc. Pakistans major seafood markets are China, Middle East and Far East, exporters say. China has great demand of Pakistani cuttlefish and squid fish, exporters say, adding that Chinas import from Pakistan surged phenomenally in recent years, which is expected to grow further in future. Pakistan fisheries export posted a robust growth of $49.82 million hitting a historic high of $367.472 million in the last fiscal year 2013-14.ICSF
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 01:49:18 +0000
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