ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Ports and Shipping is not considering on any proposal for issuance of 100 licenses to various foreign fishing vessels for fishing in Pakistani territorial waters.
Deep Sea Fishing Policy 1995, amended in 2009, allows foreign trawlers fishing in Pakistan’s EEZ, but obligates operators to also engage Pakistanis as crew members so that they could be trained in deep sea fishing.
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Reportedly, Marine Fisheries Department (MFD), a federal government department, plans to issue 100 licenses for various fishing vessels in the EZZ between 20-200 nautical miles. 25 licenses for Tuna Longliners fishing vessels of up to 350 gross tonnages (GT), followed by 25 licenses for Tuna Longliners from 351-1,000 GT. MFD will issue 30 licenses Stern Trawlers (Single Boat Pelagic/Midwater Trawling) up to 350 GT, 15 licenses for Squid Jiggers up to 350 GT and five licenses for Tuna Purse Seiners up to 700 GT were to be issued.
There have been reports that Chinese and other countries’ deep sea fishing trawlers had been in contact with Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) to get fishing licenses in Pakistani maritime boundaries.
However, a well placed official source while talking to this scribe here on Friday categorically turned down the reports, saying, since no licenses was being issued as explained above no further comments were required.
On the other side a well placed official diplomatic source told Customs Today that the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi had reminded MFD about presence of Chinese deep sea fishing trawlers at Karachi and asked for the fishing licenses for them. In this regard 14 stern trawlers were issued letter of intent (LoI) last year, yet the financial loss being incurred by the owners of these vessels.
The source further said that fish processing industry (exporters) and local fishermen were staunch opponents of the issuance of licenses to foreigner deep-sea fishing trawlers for operating in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
