Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) has accused Karachi Port Trust (KPT) authorities of threatening local fishermen residing in coastal area falling near Shireen Jinnah Colony to vacate the land.

According to the PFF spokesman, the KPT personnel had removed fishing boats from the old jetty, claiming the land is owned by the trust and asked fishermen to leave the area instantly. On Wednesday, hundreds of fishermen led by the PFF representatives Muhammad Aslam, Majeed Motani and Sami Memon staged a protest demonstration near the jetty against the injustice and demanded of the government to take immediate action against this activity.

A week ago, the PFF spokesman said, the KPT security personnel had verbally notified the fishermen of the colony for removing their boats from the shoreline. On Tuesday, under the guidance of the KPT, security officer along with bulldozers attacked the jetty, threatened and harassed the fishermen at and tried to break boats and take away their nets, he added.

The fishermen protested to save their only means of livelihoods and chanted slogans against the atrocities of the KPT personnel. The protestors said on one side the government is claiming to provide employment and resources to unemployed masses while on the other hand are destroying livelihoods of fishermen. Moreover, the protestors said the KPT authorities are not entitled to sell out coastal lands of indigenous fishermen to foreign companies. The PFF statement allegedly said the KPT has planned a billion-dollar project near the jetty, depriving fishermen of their source of living.

* From The News International, Thursday, December 04, 2008 By our correspondent.

Fisherfolk’s protest turns into carnival

By Shahid Shah

Karachi

Poverty danced on the streets of Karachi on Friday. Poor fishermen coming from all over Karachi and parts of Thatta district marked World Fisheries Day with joy and celebration. They forgot the high price of the fuel, low catch, low price of their catch and even their hungry bellies for a brief while. They provided a great relief not only to the participants but also other Karachiites who watched them from shops and houses when the rally marched from Regal Chowk to the Karachi Press Club (KPC).

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), an organisation of the native fishermen, arranged the colourful event.

World Fisheries Day is celebrated every year on this day since a meeting of the Fisherfolk organizations of 32 countries that met in New Delhi, India, November 21, 1997. The meeting agreed to form a World Forum of Fisher People (WFFP) and decided to mark November 21 as World Fisheries Day every year.

Contrary to usual rallies of the political parties where tyres are burnt and glasses of the vehicles are broken, this rally was a fun; a folk festival, where entertainment marked higher ranks.

These participants also included some delegates of South Asia, who were here participating in a labour conference.

After entertaining the participants and viewers over dance to the beat of a drum and Shehnai (a wind instrument commonly used in folk songs) the participants peacefully gathered in front of the KPC in shape of a huge procession. Children, female and male fishermen had come from across Sindh.

At the KPC, Chairman, Pakistan Fisherfolk’s Forum (PFF), Muhammad Ali Shah said it had been ten years to the commencement of the World Fisheries Day but still there was no security for the livelihood of the fishermen.

He demanded that Sindh Fisheries Policy should be developed and the fishermen should be provided livelihood, security, and life insurance.

Shah said that after abolition of contract system on inland fisheries, a law should be passed by the assembly awarding fishing rights to fishermen only.

The rally adopted a unanimous declaration in the end, which demanded fishermen’s historical right on fishing.

They said the deep-sea fishing trawlers exploited livelihood of the local fishermen and the government should ban them by cancelling their licenses.

* From The News International, Saturday, November 22, 2008.