KARACHI (March 20 2004): Tariq Ikram, Chairman, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), on Friday ruled out notions that deep-sea fishing operations were bringing harm to marine resources and seafood export as their activities were ‘well-checked’ by the authorities concerned.

"I don’t see it as a threat to local fishermen or to our seafood exports. The MSA (Maritime Security Agency) has been monitoring their (deep-sea trawlers) activities regularly," he told newsmen after visiting Vessel Monitoring Centre at MSA head office.

"The system has removed almost all the chances of poaching. So the violations by the trawlers is out of question," he said.

The chairman EPB said he himself experienced the performance of MSA’s monitoring system, designed to restrict foreign trawlers within their fishing limits and satisfied with that.

The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in 2001 announced fishing policy allowing foreign deep-sea trawlers to operate and make catch (fish) in an area between 12 to 35 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone.

The deep-sea fishing was banned in December 1999 on complaints of local fishermen who alleged the trawlers do not only violate fishing limits, but also bring harm to the seafood resources.

However, Ikram agreed still there was a need to design such a system, which could help in keeping check on trawlers, involved in wasting seafood.

"The system MSA is using, only helps in monitoring limits violations by the trawlers, we need something more to cap seafood wastage by the foreign trawlers," he added.

He informed the EPB had shared ideas with the MSA and Marine Fisheries Department to look into the project.

Earlier, the chairman visited the MSA monitoring centre along with agency’s high ups. Dr Ali Zaidi, CEO of Winson Pakistan - a local IT firm, which designed the system - briefed the chairman EPB about the system functioning.

He said according to the fishing policy, NFDB enhanced the penalties on violations of deep-sea fishing vessels from Rs2,00,000 to Rs10,00,000 and penalty on fishing beyond the period of the validity of the license from Rs200,000 to Rs1,000,000 per vessel.

Besides, Zaidi informed the board also increased license fee from Rs5,00,000 to Rs10,00,000.

"So far the system has traced each and every violation by the trawlers and the MFD has charged all of them," he added.

The deep-sea fishing activities got pace in August 2002 with seven foreign trawlers having a capacity between 100 and 250 gross registered tonnage, started catching seafood in Pakistan territorial water limits. Later, the number of trawlers reached to 15 comprising Chinese and South Korean flagged fishing trawlers.

DAWN