Fisheries bill tabled in BA
- January 28, 2014, 10:13 pm
- Breaking News
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QUETTA Jan 28 (PPI): Balochistan Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2014 was introduced in provincial assembly here Tuesday.
Provincial law and parliamentary affairs Minister Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal tabled the bill before the house in place of Adviser to Chief Minister for fisheries and Pasni fisheries harbor Akbar Askani.
The minister said illegal fishing in territorial waters along Balochistan Coast has become a serious problem with the passage of time. Sindh based trawlers are the main poachers which not only use banned nets but also disrupt and destroy already laid nets of local fishermen. Under Balochistan Sea Fisheries Ordinance 1971 a trawler can be confiscated when it is apprehended thrice and a year passed since the last conviction. The flexibility in law has given free hand to poachers as not a single trawler has been confiscated since law was promulgated in 1971.
In order to fulfill a long standing demand of local fishermen and maintain sustainable yield of fish stock amendment in Balochistan Sea fisheries Ordinance 1971is proposed to make the law stricter for poachers so that they maybe apprehended and their trawlers confiscated on their first offence.
