Speakers at a workshop on Wednesday recommended that a national plan of action should be made to combat Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. They said the core group to work on the plan must comprise heads of federal and provincial fisheries departments. These comments were made at a workshop Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing in Pakistan’ jointly organised by Sindh Fisheries Department and World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan). Speakers said that like other developing counties, Pakistan is also facing Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. They said it is generally considered a marine crime and not many countries are vigilant enough to tackle the issue because it deprives them of important foreign exchange and brings bad name. Speakers further said that dual licensing of fishing boats, lack of resources and manpower are some of the challenges that prevent action against IUU fishing in Pakistan. They shared that Indian fishing vessels operating in Pakistani waters were causing huge loss to the national exchequer annually. They suggested that an independent committee led by provinces, on rotational basis, may be established to monitor, access and manage the issue. Rear Admiral Zakaur Rehman, the director general of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), said that all relevant departments and government agencies should work in close coordination to curb IUU fishing. He said that the PSMA with available resources is doing the best it can to curb the trend. Dual fishing licences, unregistered boats, and poaching in Pakistan waters are the urgent issues which need to be addressed, he said. Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Moazzam Khan, the technical adviser on Fisheries at WWF-Pakistan, said that IUU fishing is a significant global problem that jeopardises ecosystems, food security, and livelihoods around the world. It threatens fish breeding grounds, local livelihoods and is a major hindrance to the recovery of fish populations. He also informed that IUU fishing worldwide account for about 10 to 23 billion US dollars annually. Data collection and detection of illegal activities has been a challenge, especially in the vast areas of operation in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific. He emphasised the need to improve domestic fisheries management and provide alternative income generation opportunities to the fisheries. Regular monitoring, control and surveillance with the help of VMS, would be required to trace fishing vessels and their operations in Pakistani waters, he added. Rab Nawaz, the senior director at WWF-Pakistan, shared that marine resources were faced with major threats of pollution, destructive fishing methods and IUU fishing among others. In order to conserve the rich marine biodiversity, WWF-Pakistan has initiated a number of projects under its Marine Programme which include the study of tuna fish, cetacean turtles and mangrove forests. He said IUU fishing is a big challenge, which is getting augmented very rapidly. He emphasised that there is a need to introduce technology transfer, improve facilities at landing ports and build capacity of officials of relevant departments. Trans-boundary collaborations, exchange of research data and expertise can help increase depleting fish stocks in Arabian Sea, he said. Khawar Pervez Awan, the additional secretary (technical), Sindh Fisheries Department, said that the department is taking all possible efforts to curb IUU fishing in coastal waters. He also shared that the department is framing rules and regulations. Additionally, Turtle Excluding Devices (TED) are being installed in shrimp trawlers, as required by the US, from July to September. So far 207 TEDs have been installed in fishing trawlers anchored at Ibrahim Hydri to Korangi Harbor. He also shared that to support the families of 150 fishers detained in Indian jails, the department will provide 10,000 per month maximum for six months. Mirza Zeeshan Baig, the deputy director of operations at the Pakistan Marine Security Agency, said that the current challenges marine resources are facing include poaching, marine pollution, and non-registration of fishing boats. He also said that as per new Deep Sea Fisheries Policy 2018, Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) is being installed on all boats longer than 15 meters in length. He strongly recommended that Pakistan must immediately ratify and implement Port States Measures Agreement. He said Indian fishing operations in Pakistani waters cause huge economic losses to the country. PMSA has confiscated 1,465 Indian fishing boats with 8,125 fishermen since 1987. It is because of the strict surveillance and monitoring that eight billion losses have been reduced to 1 billion rupees annually, he added. Umair Shahid, the manager of the WFF-Pakistan’s Marine Programme, said that all life on Earth depended on the health of oceans. Billions of us rely on oceans for food, livelihoods and many other services. A healthy ocean means healthy people, food security, regional stability and a flourishing economy. Irresponsible practices are pushing our ocean systems to the point of collapse. Improved management can help reverse this decline and restore ocean health, he said.