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The National Assembly has been summoned to meet on Monday, the 1st April, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. in the Parliament House, Islamabad
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Depletion of Fish Stocks in Pakistan.

Thursday, 17th October, 2019

Islamabad, October 17, 2019: 7th meeting of the Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs was held Parliament House, Islamabad at 11:30 a.m today, under the Chairmanship of Mir Amer Ali Khan Magsi, MNA, to discuss the agenda circulated vide Notice No.8 (1)/2019-Com-I (Vol-II) dated 11th October, 2019.

2.         The Committee took notice of the rapidly depleting stocks of fish in Pakistan. All the management and regulation of local fishing boats is being done by the provincial fisheries department of Sindh and Balochistan, but there is no mechanism in the provinces to monitor the fishing activities of the local fishing boats. In Balochistan, the fishing permit clearly shows that it is valid for fishing within the territorial waters of Balochistan, but in Sindh, Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority is issuing fishing permit for those fishing boats which are registered with them and it is open ended.  Majority of the fleet of boats of fishing is not sustainable. In this regard regulation and imposition of proper fishing gears is required by the provinces. The major cause of depletion is irregular fishing. In this regard the fishing policy is being reviewed and formulated and the same will be shared with the Committee. The Committee recommended that Government should take steps to take care of the indigenous fisherman present in Sindh and Balochistan. It was further told that the Prime Minister’s National Agriculture Emergency Programme address three sectors of fisheries.  

3.         The Gwadar Port is fast becoming the focal hub of Afghan Transit Trade. Various projects in Gwadar are nearing completion, such as construction of Industrial units in the Pilot Zone is 90% completed. Holding of second Expo in Gwadar was a huge success and WEBOC has been made operational at Gawadar Port. Also issue of Eastbay Expressway in Gwadar has been resolved. The Committee recommended considering the concerns of people of Gwadar which hasn’t been addressed during the initial agreement.          

4.         The meeting was attended by MNA’s namely, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Mr. Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, Mr. Saif Ur Rahman, Mr. Abdul Shakoor Shad, Ms. Nuzhat Pathan, Mr. Lal Chand, Mr. Usama Qadri, Mr. Mohammad Aslam Bhootani, Mr. Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Mr. Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh, Ch. Muhammad Shahbaz Babar, Begum Tahira Bokhari, Mr. Kesoo Mal Kheeal Das, Jam Abdul Karim Bijar, Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, Mr. Kamal Uddin, besides Secretary and Senior Officers from the Ministry.