Giving back the fresh waters to small fishermen
This initiative dates from 2005, when the government was phasing out the licence system implemented in the 1980s, replacing it by the contract system, also referred to as the auction system. This opposition is a result of the unfairness of the system - the contracts, which give the fishing administration rights in a defined territory in the lakes and fresh water lakes in the district, are auctioned for a period of one year. As a consequence, they come into the exclusive hands of influential, but non-specialist people. This system enables the local government to earn a huge commission, but it leads to the fishermen being subordinated to the contract beneficiaries.
Thanks to the action of PFF and its militants, millions of fishermen will be able regain their autonomy. Until then, they were fully dependent on the good will of the contract holders, who forced them to give up 75% of their catch and to sell to them the remainder at a rate much lower than the market price. Armed guards ensured that the fishermen respected these unilaterally set rules. They were not permitted to keep a part of their catch for the use of their own family. This system led to significant problems in terms of overfishing and destruction of the natural environment. The contract beneficiaries did not hesitate to make as many inhabitants as possible work as fishermen.
Making a living from fishing without destroying the aquatic environment
In order combat this situation, the PFF pointed out the right of everyone to fish. The mobilization led to a proposal made to Sindh local government to return to the licence system with accessible rates, to enable the fishermen to directly buy their fishing rights. A licence authorizes independent fishing in a specified area. Fishermen can then sell their fish in local stalls, at the market price, thus enjoying a larger margin for manoeuvre. Thanks to their long experience and to their excellent knowledge of the aquatic environment, fishing is now returning to the most experienced persons, the fisherfolk, whose only goal is not to make maximum profit, but to simply make a living from fishing.
And the stakes are huge. Following the development of the free-market policies implemented in Pakistan, a great extent of the waters of the Sindh region is suffering overfishing, and the mangrove swamp is very damaged. So PFF’s combat has a wider dimension than the simple right to fish. It means coming back to a more traditional activity, relying on strict rules which ensure renewal of the fish stocks and to saving natural resources. To achieve this, PFF has to ensure that, when the licence system is put in place, the fishermen will have free access to waters without being in any way bothered by the influential people who were until then taking advantage of the contracts, if only to achieve a better balance between fishing and the aquatic environment. That is why, after the great victory of this spring, the struggle is going on.
Also read: Resonances Asia N°15 - June 2007
