Ministry approaches President, PM to settle issue

KARACHI - Sindh Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Zahid Burgori has said that the ministry has approached the president and prime minister to settle down the prolonged dispute between Sindh and Balochistan regarding fishing boundaries.
The provincial minister was talking to the media representatives following a meeting with the fishermen and boat owners here on Friday at the harbour.
He said that the rights of Sindh based fishermen would entirely be protected as the government had taken initiatives to improve the fishing sectors.
He said that the ongoing dispute over fishing in Balochistan territory by Sindh fishermen has been taken to the high level authorities to resolve it. Burgori also said that in this regard he along with other fisheries officials will have an important meeting with the Balochistans concern authorities today wherein the ongoing issues would be tabled.
Earlier, the minister has called a meeting of all stakeholders of fish industries to settle the issue that was attended by Fishermen Cooperative Society Administrator Mohammad Jafar Khawaja besides representatives of boat owners.
The fishermen in the meeting have pointed out the incidents of targeting of the Karachi-based fishermen boats through weapons by the Balochistan security officials, they mentioned one of such incidents by saying that a Karachi-based fishing boat in Jiwani in Makran coast was targeted by firing that has created unrest among boat owners in Karachi Fish Harbour.
The participants of the meeting have pointed out that a Karachi based boat Mohammadi was fired upon near Jiwani on Friday and Saturday nigh while it was on normal fishing trip injuring head crew (nakuda). They accused them of harassing Karachi based trawlers for alleged charge of trespassing the water zone of Balochistan. On hearing the report of firing, the boat owners in Karachi Fish Harbour stopped operating their vessels and condemned the act of Balochistan fisheries authorities. Fishermen anchored their boats close to the harbour channel creating chaos in the marketing activities.
In the meeting the minister briefed the participants about the deliberations of recently convened Islamabad meeting regarding fisheries sector.
He said the meeting specially discussed the ongoing tussle between Sindh and Balochistan boat owners. In light of the deliberations of the meeting, the minister assured the participants, the issue would be resolved soon.
He also assured them that he was taking up the issue with the officials of Balochistan fisheries on Saturday.
On the assurance of the minister the boat owners suspended their agitation In a separate communication sent to higher authorities, the stakeholders of Karachi based fish industries demanded that Maritime Security Agency (MSA) should be authorized to determine the limits of 12 nautical miles if any violation from Sindh based trawler or boat owners was committed It also recommended if a boat is penalized or fined then the fish catch, legal nets, deisal and other belongings of fishermen should not be increased. The monthly fee of Rs10,000 per gillnetting Horas (small wooden boats) on fishing in Balochistan should be stopped and Sindh based Horas and gillnetters should be allowed to fish legally in Balochistan waters. When the president of Sindhi Mahigir Ittehad Abuzar Mariwara was contacted, he alleged that a strong mafia was behind the trouble of Karachi Fish Harbour.