Gwadar Fishermen in the Arabian Sea city of. Gwadar fear China’s growing interest in Pakistan’s fishing sector. “We don’t want any investment or aid from China. if it means that their trawlers will further devour our fish stocks.” said Haji, a community leader in the region developed as a trade hub. Kodad Wago said: In the middle of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).Like Wajo, scores of fishermen along Pakistan’s 990-kilometer. coastline have crushed by the devastating effects of unregulated domestic. and foreign fishing vessels that have “enacted mass extinctions of fish.”
Investing in Pakistan’s fisheries sector
On the eve of 2021. a senior Chinese diplomat shared. in an interview with a Pakistani newspaper. the country’s plans to expand its local fisheries. Consul-General Li Beiqian said, “Pakistan has abundant resources in terms of fisheries. Chinese investors are very interested in investing in Pakistan’s fisheries sector.” Chinese investors are very interested in investing in Pakistan’s fishing sector. Consul General Lee Bei Jian Speaking about bigger boats. and modern fishing gear for Gwadar fishermen. he said there was an urgent need to build a processing plant. We need to increase capacity. he said, adding that locals need to go deep-sea fishing. because “fishing is not profitable” on the coast.
fish stocks are already depleted
The announcement has caused serious concern. to Gwadar fishermen in both Sindh and Balochistan. who are struggling to survive as a powerful fishing community of nearly 700,000. people is rapidly depleting fish stocks. Gwadar Hunters Concerned About First Belt Root. His 2015 study of Pakistan’s fisheries by the United Nations Food. and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed. that Pakistan’s marine fisheries do not have a single sustainably fished source. It concluded that Pakistan’s marine resources were being overexploited. and declining as part of an “ongoing environmental disaster”. Li spoke about protecting the ecosystem. but it is unclear what steps China will take to protect Baluchistan’s marine life. and local fishermen.
China’s insatiable demands
China has one of the world’s largest fisheries as demand for its own seafood grows. The UK’s Overseas Development Institute (ODI) puts. the size of China’s deep-sea fishing fleet at her 17,000 vessels, far ahead of any other country. International studies have linked destructive fishing practices of Chinese fishing vessels. to the depletion of fish stocks in many countries. A recent study by Stockholm University projects that by 2030. China will likely need up to an additional 18 million tones of seafood. to meet her anticipated domestic consumption.
Possibility of protest
In Pakistan fishermen have opposed deep-sea trawl fishing for decades. and have reported a sharp decline in catches in recent years. China has invested billions of dollars through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. In Gwadar locals have already displaced by port development. that promises to be a gateway to China’s commercial ambitions. We strongly oppose these fishing vessels. “There are already 12 Chinese trawlers docked in the Karachi port. and we know there will be 60 more in the future. said Saeed Baloch of the Pakistan Fisherman’s Forum (PFF). If they allowed to fish, the worst is yet to come. We strongly oppose these fishing vessels. They wipe out entire schools of fish and destroy our society.
Saeed Baloch, Pakistan Fishermen Forum
Bullock’s concerns about the presence of Chinese deep-sea. trawlers moored in the port of Karachi shared by many fishermen. The arrival of these vessels in October 2020. sparked protests as local Gwadar fishermen feared. the federal government would secretly allow Chinese vessels to fish in these waters. The community feared the worst because the government. did not publicly deny fishing permits for these boats.
What is the Hunting Price Policy?
The federal government of Pakistan. which he created the Deep Sea Fisheries Policy in 2018 to regulate. these issues. has met with suspicion by both fishermen and provincial governments. Moazzam Khan, marine fisheries adviser to WWF Pakistan. said the 2018 policy put in place to manage the country’s exclusive economic zone. The 2018 policy introduced to the effect that hunting in the EEZ should controlled. but fishermen resisted it due to the social and economic implications. We can and should adjust our fisheries. but to do so suddenly would be disastrous for tens of thousands of people. is essential. but what will fishermen do when there is no alternative? As the Chinese giant ships arrived, Khan said this would lead to a “collapse of fish stocks.”
competing with local fishermen
“These vessels end up competing with local Gwadar fishermen. and coastal communities simply cannot compete. he told Third Pole. “How and why are the Chinese allowed to fish in our waters. when there is nothing left for the locals to catch. Khan asked, referring to Pakistan’s private fishing boats. The fleet is about 2,500 fish. which is already four times the recommended capacity, he added.
Mysteries surrounding Chinese fishing boats
The PFF representative said Baloch. said the Chinese deep-sea fishing vessels docking. at the port of Karachi was “a federal government conspiracy to push. the already beleaguered fishing community against the wall.” rice field. He claimed the federal government would. clearly” show. that it will license Chinese fishing vessels in the coming days. The Maritime Minister said he was unaware. that the fishing vessel had arrived at the pier. How is that possible? I did. Said said. Mr Baloch said these foreign fishing vessels. if allowed to operate, would deplete marine life and escalate. the conflict between Sindh. and Balochistan over the presence of fishing vessels from Sindh.
Foreign fishing vessels in Balochistan
Dozens of Gwadar fishermen take to the streets to protest the presence of Chinese ships in Karachi. We are completely against local. and foreign fishing vessels in Balochistan. he said adding that dozens of fishermen took to the streets to protest. the presence of Chinese vessels in Karachi. U Moazzam Khan said the Chinese are enthusiastic about fishing in Pakistani waters. where they can bring their catch duty-free. If Chinese ships come to fish here. the imported fish will be duty-free. Even if a Chinese ship enters the port. it uses the name of the Chinese ship. to catch fish in the Indian Ocean and sells them tax-free.
Destructive fishing
Trawlers use large nets that drag heavy weights across. the ocean floor to collect everything in their path. Conservationists say this is highly destructive. Ilyas Bengal, a resident of Karachi’s Machar colony. and a fisherman who has been fishing in the deep waters of Sindh. and Balochistan for several years, told Paul III: Due to the lack of fish. we forced to go to Balochistan to fish in small boats. ”
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