Illegal Trawling and Banned Wire Nets Have Become a Serious Threat to Marine Life: Gwadar Standing Committee on Fisheries

Quetta (Daily Qudrat Quetta) — An important consultative meeting on the proposed Balochistan Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill 2026 and reforms in the Fisheries Department was held in Gwadar under the auspices of the Standing Committee on Fisheries of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly. The meeting was chaired by Chairman of the Standing Committee, Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan and Member of the Provincial Assembly Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rahman Baloch.

The meeting was attended by members of the Standing Committee, Provincial Minister for Planning and Development Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Members of the Provincial Assembly Abdul Majeed Badini and Zafar Agha, Provincial Secretary Fisheries Tariq Qamar, Additional Secretary Law, and the Secretary of the Balochistan Assembly.

In addition, Chairman Gwadar Port Noor-ul-Haq Baloch, Director General Gwadar Development Authority Moin-ur-Rahman Khan, Director General Fisheries Balochistan Ateequllah Khan, Director Fisheries Ahmed Nadeem, officials of the Fisheries Department, fishermen, political and social figures, experts, and other relevant stakeholders also participated in the meeting.

The meeting held detailed consideration of various aspects of the proposed bill aimed at bringing the fisheries sector in line with modern requirements, protecting the rights of fishermen, protecting marine life, promoting aquaculture, and establishing an effective legal and administrative system.

Participants were informed that during the past two to two-and-a-half years, numerous consultative meetings were held at various levels with experts, fishermen, and relevant institutions in connection with the preparation of the proposed law, and the draft of the bill has been prepared in light of their proposals and recommendations.

During the meeting, fishermen termed illegal trawling, wire nets, and other banned nets a serious threat to marine life and the environment, and stressed their complete elimination. Participants also proposed formulating a scientifically based fish season closure policy, keeping in view the breeding periods of fish, so that the protection of marine resources and breeding of fish can be ensured.

The consultative meeting also put forward proposals regarding activating the research wing of the Fisheries Department, collecting authentic data, making the role of the Fisheries Council effective, and the transparent distribution of funds and assistance allocated for fishermen.

Chairman of the Standing Committee Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rahman Baloch said that before finalizing the proposed law, special importance will be given to the opinions of local fishermen and all relevant stakeholders, so that a legal framework can be formed that is in harmony with the interests of fishermen, the protection of marine resources, and the requirements of sustainable development of the fisheries sector.

The meeting also held detailed consideration of proposed reforms in the administrative structure of the Fisheries Department, the merger of relevant employees of various institutions into the Fisheries Department, and proposals for the establishment of the Directorate of Harbor and Coastal Development, the Directorate of Marine, and the Directorate of Inland for effective monitoring and development of the sector.

The Provincial Secretary Fisheries gave a detailed briefing to the participants on various aspects of the proposed law and reforms, after which a question-and-answer session and detailed consultation continued for about three hours. The proposals, reservations, and recommendations put forward by the participants were made part of the record.

Participants stressed that comprehensive and practicable legislation is the need of the hour for sustainable development in the fisheries sector, protection of fishermen’s rights, promotion of modern technology, and effective management of marine and water resources.

The meeting made clear that after the consultation process is completed, the received proposals will be incorporated into the proposed bill, and after completing all legal and constitutional stages, the draft will be presented for approval.

It is noteworthy that the meeting of the Standing Committee on Fisheries of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly was held outside Quetta in Gwadar for the first time, which was described as an important step toward directly including local fishermen and other stakeholders associated with the fisheries sector in the consultative process.