Ijaz Kakakhel Slamabad
A legislative body of Upper House of parliament on Thursday expressed serious concern over illegal fishing by foreign trawlers and recommended the government to take appropriate measures in this regard. The observations were given during a meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs, which held today at the Parliament House, while Senator Rubina Khalid was on chair. In this regard in-depth deliberation ensued on the issue of illegal fishing by foreign trawlers, particularly foreign vessels.
Senators Danesh Kumar and Muhammad Akram expressed strong concerns over this illicit practice, highlighting a significant smuggling value of 2 billion dollars’ worth of fishing products out of Pakistan. Ministry officials reiterated that foreign trawler fishing had been banned as per 2021 regulations. The caretaker minister assured further investigation into the matter, emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal fishing in Balochistan and Sindh. The committee members collectively agreed to delve deeper into this matter during the forthcoming committee meeting in Karachi.
The proceedings commenced by addressing a Public Petition referred to the committee by the Chairman of the Senate. Notably, it was informed that the petitioner has been offered a daily-wage position, an offer which he has accepted. In addressing the matter of procurement tenders released by the KPT over the past decade, as raised by Senator Saifullah Abro, KPT officials provided comprehensive details. However, due to Senator Saifullah Abro’s absence, the discussion on this topic was deferred to the forthcoming committee meeting.
