Choppy waters

Twelve Pakistani fishermen were recently released by India and, after reaching the Edhi Centre at Karachi, have returned to their homes. According to an Edhi Centre spokesperson, the fishermen hailed from Karachi and Sujawal Sindh. It is thought that they were taken into custody by Indian maritime authorities while fishing in the Sir Creek area. Over the years, scores of Pakistani and Indian fishermen have ended up being captured after crossing, mostly without realizing it, into the borders of the neighbouring country. At times, they believe they have no choice but to cross maritime territory in order to bring in hauls of fish in a situation where it is becoming harder and harder for fishermen on both sides of the border to earn a living given the trawlers which collect the largest share of the catch.

Many of the fishermen, it appears, were captured around 2022 while others have spent over a decade in Indian custody. They have also reported on returning home that others are still in custody. The plight of the fisherfolk that are unfortunate enough to be caught in this fight is an unfortunate one. These are hardworking people and on both sides of the maritime border it is these people who end up bearing the brunt of decisions made far far away from them. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which calls for the immediate release of fishermen and their vessels after a reasonable bond is posted and has been signed by both countries, needs to be followed. This is not happening under the current circumstances.

The fisherfolk community already live hazardous lives. It is not easy to navigate small boats amidst choppy ocean waters in the desperate bid to bring in enough catch to keep families alive and earn enough for basic needs. The fact that the maritime border is not clearly marked in many places also makes it inevitable that fishermen without proper navigation equipment or other devices to help them know precisely where they are placed will cross over into enemy territory. The answer cannot be to capture and jail such people. Both countries need to work harder on working out some policy which can prevent this from happening and spare some of the poorest people in both lands who desperately need help in order to survive and who are forced to serve long years in jail for no fault of their own. There have been many talks over the situation but at the present moment things are not going the way of the fishermen although after the latest release by India, we hope that there will be a change in the climate and a greater willingness to look at the needs of the fishing community that each day goes out to the seas in perilous waters with boats that are poorly equipped and nets that can often bring in only a small haul of fish.