Disclaimer note - WWF - Pakistan

Detailed Ecological Assessment Report 2008 – Keenjhar Lake
thousand families (with at least 8 to 10 family members per house
hold) have migrated due to increasing poverty and land
degradation..
• Over-exploitation of resources: Mechanization of the fishing fleet and
increased demand of seafood for export and domestic consumption have
Led to increased fish production. However, inadequately managed, it has
added a tremendous pressure on natural stocks. Some of the resources
have been depleted; some are currently over-exploited while others are
under threat of depletion. Shrimp stocks have been severely over-fished
and a major decrease in landings of important shrimp species as well as a
major reduction in the size of commercial species is now noticeable.
Resources of lobsters have already been over-fished and annual landings
have decreased from over 5,000 MT to about 800 MT. Resources of
crabs, ivory shells and some fin-fishes have also shown signs of overexploitation.
No stock assessment survey has been carried out for the last
15 years, and the lack of information on the present status of various
resources in shallow and offshore waters makes impossible the
implementation of appropriate management measures. In the absence of
regular monitoring of the resources, it is not possible to determine
appropriate levels of exploitation of commercially important species.
• Use of harmful fishing methods: Use of some harmful exotic gears
began in the 1970s in coastal areas of Sindh. Two types of these gears,
i.e. encircling net ‘katra’ and estuarine set bag net ‘bulo’ are considered
extremely harmful to juvenile populations of commercially important
species which abound in creek systems. A trawl shrimp net ‘gujja’ is also
used in creek areas. These illegal gears have devastating effects on the
local fauna and populations of commercially important species. Ineffective
legislation and a lack of monitoring and surveillance facilities have
resulted in a failure to prevent the spread of some of these fishing gears
to the coast of Pakistan.
• Lack of skilled human resources: Inadequate human resources and
skills are found at two levels: within government structures, and (within
fishing and fish farming communities. In most cases, fisheries institutions
are inadequately staffed. Lack of trained manpower and suitable facilities
in fisheries and aquaculture management organizations and research
institutions are considered to be one of most important impediment to the
development of both fisheries and aquaculture. This has consequences in
terms of both the quality and the relevance of extension work carried out
at the field level, with weak knowledge and experience is being passed on
to fisher-folk and fish farmers.
• Inadequacies in fisheries data: Pakistan faces problems in of
inadequacy, reliability and accuracy of Fisheries and aquaculture data.
There are a lot of inadequacies in the data collection system linked to
poor sampling methods along the coastal areas. In most cases, fisheries
data from Sindh are merely estimates and prone to personal judgments
resulting in unreliable conclusions. Inadequacies in the statistical fisheries
and aquaculture data collection system make the management of
aquaculture, and inland and marine fisheries resources very difficult.
WWF Pakistan – Indus for All Programme Page 77 of 188