Ahmed Khan Malik

The fisherfolk in the Gadani coastal town of Balochistan have long been facing tough times due to high cost of inputs and borrowing. 

Located 50 kilometres from Karachi, Gadani town is one of the key spots on the coastal belt associated with the fisheries sector. The fisheries sector in Balochistan provides direct employment to an estimated 400,000 people, and perhaps an equal number in ancillary industries such as marketing, boatbuilding, etc. In coastal areas, fisheries can account for up to 70% of the local employment. 

The Balochistan coast extends 745 kilometres from just west of Karachi to the Iranian border and possesses a much narrower continental shelf (15 to 50km). Since the size of the continental shelf determines the production of shallower living species (the bulk of the current fish catch), the catch from the Balochistan part of the coast is much less than that of Sindh despite its longer coastline. “This prevents the province from realising its full potential in fisheries,” Qasim Jan, a leading fisheries exporter from Gadani, said. Talking to WealthPK, he said that fishermen in Gadani were not so resourceful as compared to their counterparts in Karachi, who had huge boats and latest equipment for fishing. “Ninety per cent of the population in Gadani (around 25,000 to 30,000) is engaged in fishing for generations. They are poor, illiterate and know no other skill except fishing. Our small boats with six to 10 people can’t compete with their large vessels carrying up to 30 men on a single trip.”

Qasim said that the increasing cost of inputs had been a major issue for fishermen in Gadani. “Mostly the banks don’t lend loans to the poor fishermen, whereas private lenders give the money at high interest rates,” he pointed out.  He said that harbour facilities in Gadani and Sonmiani/Damb were silted up, while other harbours, though offered shelter and mooring, did not have jetties.  Shaukat Mondra, a fisherman in Gadani, said that high cost of doing business was a big issue for them. He said that fuel prices had gone up massively, eroding the people’s purchasing power.  He noted that around 60% of total catch landing on Gadani, Dam and Bundewari fish landing sites/jetties comprised of juvenile fish and other aquatic species that were not consumed. “These unwanted and trash fish in huge quantity is sold to feed mills, which are further processed and used as poultry feed.”

Credit: INP-WealthPk