Fisheries in Balochistan remained an ignored sector of its potential economy for the past six decades or more. Pakistan Government failed to develop the fisheries and exploit its unlimited resources that can meet the protein requirement of the entire population of 180 million and can earn sizable foreign exchange worth around five to six billion US dollar a year.

There is no explanation from the officials responsible for planning and development at the highest level for ignoring the Fisheries Sector. Why the unending Mekran Coast was kept backward and its resources not exploited for the benefit of the people of Pakistan? There is no answer. Even the Provincial rulers followed the same pattern of ignorance.

During the meeting with Commander Coast Pakistan Navy Admiral Muzzam Ilyas Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo said that Thousands of Balochistanis are attached with fisheries and the provincial government seeks to protect the rights of local fishermen.

The illegal fishing is directly affecting fishermen in Balochistan, and the attempt is endangering the amplification of fish. Three-fourth of Pakistani coast line is in Balochistan and the greater half of the same coast is in Iranian Balochistan known as Mekran Coast. Roughly, it is around 3000 kilometers. Rulers in Pakistan undermined its importance or ignored it for unknown reasons.

Recently, in 2017 there was a report on the news pages that around 8000 fishing trawlers and vessels from Sindh are operating on the Mekran Coast without any legal authority.

The huge trawlers are involved in completely wiping out the entire marine line by sweeping the fishing grounds all along the Mekran Coast—from Karachi to the Straits of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf. According to some sources, each fishing vessel is paying at least Rs 50,000 to the concerned officials for permission to loot and plunder the sea wealth of Balochistan.

In some of the cases, the foreign fishing vessels or trawlers from Sindh come close to the human settlements on the coast in Mekran and involved in fish catch at a massive scale. Most of the poachers are using deadly nets killing or destroying the entire marine life available in the area of operation. The deadly nets are being used widely by the desperate poachers plundering the sea wealth of Balochistan to the maximum or considering Balochistan as enemy territory and not part of Pakistan.

The Balochistan Government should protect the basic interests of the fishermen of Mekran and Lasbela Coast on priority basis and stop poaching by the trawlers from Sindh and also fishing vessels of foreign countries operating close to the Coast.

There is an urgent need for development of entire coast using its wealth and resources for the overall development of Balochistan and with a required speed. There should be a chain of cold storages, fish processing plants, a well- equipped fishing fleet with a qualified manpower to operate it. Facilities for a reasonable price for the fish catch of poor fishermen and preserving them for onward sale to the international market earning valuable foreign exchange.

All the major population settlements on the Mekran Coast should be developed with more fish harbors with all the facilities including processing plants, cold storage packaging for exporting the fish products to outside world. There should be more than one airport or seaport making available the facilities to export the fish products to international markets.

At the moment, the Government should use Pasni or Gwadar airport for exporting seafood to outside world instead of sending them to Karachi first and exporting it later with a risk of devaluing the products or selling it at cheaper prices because the life span of fish products is very short and limited. However, the loot and plunder of marine resources continued unabated.

There is a need for complete ban and impounding of trawlers and bigger fishing vessels if found fishing in shallow waters close to the Baloch Coast. The Government should defend the rights of the fishermen first, bar the big fishing vehicles, mainly trawlers from sweeping the fishing grounds and destroying the marine life completely. If the corrupt practices are attacked and kept at the minimum level, the benefits will go to the poor fishermen.

Coastal development will be a second issue for the fishermen, mainly with modest means. The Government should defend their interests against the strong and powerful elements involved in massive corruption.