Fishermen. Photo: Express
KARACHI:
Rising fuel prices have compounded the financial hardships facing people involved in deep-sea fishing as the cost of operating diesel-powered boats and fish launches continues to rise.
The increase in fuel prices has greatly increased the operating expenses of the fishermen, who primarily rely on diesel engines to power both large fishing rigs and smaller boats.
In addition to fuel costs, costs for ice, fishing nets, long-distance food supplies and other necessities are also expected to rise significantly.
This comes as the fishing community has already struggled with declining incomes due to uncertainty in global seafood markets, making the recent fuel price hike an added burden. Pakistani fishermen who spend days and nights in the open sea catching fish, shrimps and other marine species are slowly beginning to feel the impact of the current extraordinary situation.
All vessels used for both short and long fishing trips operate on diesel engines, making fuel the single largest operating expense for fishing.
According to Kamal Shah of the Coastal Media Centre, fuel prices have reached extremely high levels, significantly increasing the operational costs of fishermen.
He said fishermen are also facing difficulties because international markets do not offer favorable prices for fish and shrimp, while declining exports and uncertainty in global markets are affecting incomes. Shah said the impact of rising fuel prices goes beyond boating.
“When diesel and petrol prices rise, the impact is not limited to fuel for the boats. The cost of ice, food, fishing nets, rations and other essential supplies also increases,” he explained.
Under such conditions, many fishermen are forced to stop going out to sea because the costs become too high, pushing their families closer to hunger and poverty.
He added that when international seafood prices fall and exports decline, large food companies and large seafood traders often benefit from the situation, while poor fishermen and coastal communities bear the brunt of the losses.
Shah urged the government to introduce diesel subsidies for fishermen, adopt improved seafood export policies and ensure economic protection for coastal communities.
