Fishermen gutted by low prices set under traders’ monopoly

HYDERABAD: Marine fishermen along the 350km long coastline of Sindh have expressed unhappiness at the low prices of fish that have not risen since the fishing season started on August 1 this year, making it difficult for them to stay afloat economically.

They fear it was also connected to the excessive marine pollution between zero and three nautical miles from the coast, as well as the weather ups and downs and rough seas, which together made it difficult for the fishing community to earn their livelihood.

Flow of untreated sewage water via various channels from Karachi into the sea has made it difficult to survive on fishing for coastal communities living in Keti Bunder, Kharo Chhan, Shah Bunder and Karachi.

Fishermen in the Keti Bunder area said they fix their nets in nearby creeks expecting to catch kiddy (small sized shrimps), but they return empty handed. The shrimp do not use the creeks anymore because of excessive pollution.

The situation has forced the fishermen to travel out to 12 nautical miles in search of livelihood.

Akhtar Shaikh, a community activist and local trader at Rehri Mayan Village in Karachi, said fishermen expect the stocks of fish and shrimp to get replenished after a two month break in June and July. “It is expected that the creeks will have more kiddy once the season kicks off on August 1st, but the fishing boats are returning empty handed,” he added.

Larger boats went to the open sea as usual to access commercial fish species. Some of them have returned back home with kiddies, but they get low rates like Rs300-350/kg only. He guessed that after a few days when the larger boats would bring a higher catch of small shrimp, the rates would fall further down to Rs200-250/kg.

Besides kiddy, there are two other precious species of shrimps. The larger ones have more value and fetch up to Rs1,000-1,100/kg, while the other ones are sold for Rs600-700/kg at the local market. However, those associated with the profession consider the prices low and not sufficient to bear the cost of staying out in the sea for a long time. The longer a boat stays out in the sea, the more it spends on fuel, ice and food.

“Traders justify the low prices by saying that since there is no way to export the seafood, they were the ones deciding about the prices,” Shaikh said.

Some activists said that since the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS), a community welfare body, now has an administrator from the community, he must take action in the interest of the fishermen.

Majeed Motani, a boat owner and senior boat captain in Ibrahim Hydri village of Karachi said the fishermen were feeling the heat because not only were the boats coming back with lower catch, they were also getting lower rates.

Recalling the past, he said that having access to small shrimps helped earn a little better, but now with the disappearance of that species from the creeks this year, the financial pressure on the community was building up. Out in the sea, the catch was low and back at the market, the rates were low.

Nawaz Dablot, a community activist associated with fishing boats said, “Situation of fish catch does not remain the same. Similarly crew members on boats receive wages depending on the catch.”

For example, he said quite recently crew members in his village earned Rs10,000—12,000 share each after returning back with a heavy haul on boats. They stayed out in the sea for one week or more, and brought in a huge catch of precious fish. “Some boats caught the precious hero fish, weighing five-six kg, which sold at Rs700-800/kg,” he said, adding that such finds benefitted workers.

Dablot called the boat owner and crew lucky, and said that “not everyone was this lucky”. A majority of boat owners and fishermen have had an opposite experience this season. The reason it becomes more disappointing is that they restarted their activity after following the government’s two-month fishing ban.

Asif Bhatti, FCS director and President of Native and Indigenous Fishermen Association (NIFA) representing island communities, said traders had monopoly at jetties as well as at the fishing harbour. They do not follow the guidelines set by the FCS and as a result, the community suffers.

Talking about the status of marine pollution, he said island villages near Keamari may sink soon as dwellers do not have the option to shift their localities.

He said Karachi island villages were vulnerable to disasters because certain people have cleaned major portions of mangroves forest, leaving the people in a helpless situation. Marine pollution is another issue which has contaminated seawater from zero to three nautical miles, he added.

Fishermen plead that the government authorities should look in to the increasing prices of essential food items, and decide the rates of fish products.