Marine pollution, unconventional fishing practices hurting livelihood of 4.5m fisherfolk.

KARACHI -- The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) on Monday organised a public rally to mark World Fisheries Day, which is celebrated on November 21 every year by the fishing community internationally.

This year's theme for the day is 'We Live, We Celebrate, We Protect: Fisherfolk, Peasants, Indus River, Indus Delta, Oceans and Our Land'.

The rally was held following a week of action against any construction on islands in Sindh, mangrove deforestation on the coast of the province, the issue of deep-sea trawlers destroying livelihoods of small-scale fishermen and the issue of marine pollution.

Rally held to mark World Fisheries Day

Participants in the rally marched from Saddar to the Karachi Press Club. Fisherfolk from across Sindh along with human rights activists, civil society representatives, academia, environmental rights activities and researchers were part of the rally.

Addressing the rally, PFF chairman Mehran Ali Shah said that overfishing, environmental pollution, increasing urbanisation and industrial activities had destroyed the natural source of income of the fishing communities living close to the waters, leading to depletion of fish stocks and compelling fisherfolk to leave their traditional means of...