By Imtiaz Hussain
SUKKUR: Traders and fishermen across six coastal districts of Sindh have mounted strong protests against the suspension of crab exports for the past two weeks, warning that the halt has pushed millions of families towards acute economic hardship.
They have called on the government and relevant authorities to immediately restore crab exports to China and other international markets, saying the livelihoods of fishermen, traders and workers employed by export companies are at serious risk.
Leaders of the Sindh Coastal Association – including Majid Thaheem, Jani Shoro, Haji Haroon Thaheem, Yar Muhammad Jokhio, Muhammad Saleh Narejo, Ahmed Mabrani, Ali Mallah, Ashraf Mallah, Riaz Zangijo, Mansoor Memon, Nasir Rind, Moeenuddin Bengali, Somar Shah, Sabo Khasikheli and Lala Thaheem – addressed a press conference and staged a protest at the Thatta Press Club.
Speaking to the media, the association’s leaders said that millions of fishermen living along Sindh’s coastline, from Karachi to Badin, rely heavily on crab fishing and exports as their primary source of income.
However, they said crab exports to China have remained suspended for the last two weeks, effectively paralysing the export industry. As a result, more than 700,000 fishermen, traders and factory workers in the coastal districts of Karachi, Malir, Thatta, Sujawal and Badin have been severely affected.
They said those suffering include boat owners, traders, labourers and fishermen, while between 50 and 60 export companies and their employees are also facing serious difficulties.
According to the association, the suspension of crab exports has already caused losses estimated at around $50m to Pakistan. They said the industry was already struggling with multiple challenges, and the continued suspension has further deepened the crisis.
The speakers expressed serious concern that despite the scale of the losses, no concrete steps have been taken by the relevant authorities. They criticised what they described as inaction by the federal minister for maritime affairs, the Sindh government, the director general of the Marine Fisheries Department, the chairperson of the Fishermen Cooperative Society and the president of the Pakistan Fishery Exporters Association.
They demanded the immediate resolution of the crisis in the crab export industry, the restoration of exports to China, and compensation for the financial losses suffered by fishermen and traders.
Warning of further agitation, the leaders said that if the suspension is not lifted, they will continue and intensify their protests until crab exports are fully restored, in order to protect the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers and prevent millions of families from slipping into poverty and hunger.
