One of the basic causes of over-fishing in the fishing grounds of Pakistan is the open access policy with no clear cutting fishing rights to the indeginous fisherfolk communities. As a result millions of non-fisher communities and businessmen have jumped in the sector.

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The first diversion of the major population towards the fishing sector was recorded with the decrease in the fresh water flow in the Indus delta after the commissioning of various barrages, reservoirs and dam on Indus River. Before the construction of such dams and barrages the delta area was criss-crossed by the distributaries of the Indus.

The discharge from the river was large enough to push back the ocean currents up to over a hundred miles from the shore. Due to this enormous quantity of fresh water and the silt the river brought with it, the delta lands were believed to be the richest in the area. Agriculture was seasonal and the yields were high. Rice was the main crop and most of it was exported to the coastal regions of India and the Gulf.

However, with the reduction in fresh water flow major ecological changes took place, as a result of the sea moving into the delta channels. With the disappearance of Fresh River water, agriculture in the coastal belt became no longer possible. According to a recent survey, due to decreased fresh water flow to the Indus Deltaic region from Indus River, the sea intrusion has inundated more than 1.2 million acres of farmland in the coastal areas of Thatta and Badin districts of Sindh province.

According to the same survey seawater has intruded as far as 30 km and 50 km in the sweet water channels down stream Kotri Barrage rendering thousands of acres of farmland saline. These changes forced the agricultural communities to shift their livelihoods to fisheries. Presently, majority of the communities who were previously engaged in the agriculture and livestock grazing in the coastal regions have shifted their livelihoods towards the fisheries resulting in the greater pressures on this only sector of livelihood in the coastal regions of Sindh.

Similarly traditional merchant clans in the Coastal areas dealing with the purchase and sale as well as export of agriculture produces have also converted their livelihoods to fisheries sector. Fisheries sector witnessed the second major flow of population during the government of Pathan Military ruler General Ayub (1958-69) when a large number of tribal Pathans from North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan started settling in Karachi.

Although majority of Pathan population adopted transport business but a large number of them also joined fisheries sector. They are engaged in fishing related businesses i.e. working as laborers, middlemen and agents at Fish Harbors and Fish Jetties. They also provide loan to the indigenous fishermen and claim a sufficient share from their earnings in return. They also purchase the fish catch and sale the same to the factories as fish -meal.

A number of Pathans also own fishing boats. The fisheries sector received third jolt of population pressure during the regime of another military ruler General Ziaul Haq (1977-88), when a large number of Afghans migrated from Afghanistan due to war with Russia and settled in Karachi. Presently, a large number of Afghan refuges are also working in the fisheries sector as crew, watchmen at the launches as well as manual labor at fish harbors.

Some Afghanis have also purchased their own fishing launches, which are being operated for fishing by the local fishermen. The Afghanis are also working as middlemen providing loan to the local fishermen and claiming share in their fish catch in return. Similarly, people from other provinces including Punjab also migrated to Karachi and joined this livelihood directly or indirectly.

For example, presently about 80 percent of the boat makers as well as the labour working with these boat makers are from Punjab. Some influential people from Punjab have even purchased fishing boats and some are working as middlemen in the fisheries sector. Pakistan has remained an open country since its creation as for as its borders are concerned.

Moreover, the laws and rules dealing with illegal immigrants are either weak or lack implementation. There is no proper process of registration and deportation of illegal immigrants. According to estimates quoted by government sources presently there are about one million illegal immigrants living in the Karachi.

These foreigners include Bengalese, Burmese, Indians, Afghanis, and Iranians etc. A number of these illegal immigrants has taken refuge in the coastal areas and is engaged in fishing. The local fishermen claim that presently there are thousands of illegal immigrants especially Bengalis and Burmese engaged in fishing in the coastal waters of Pakistan.

According to the local communities the illegal immigrants have come here with the only motive of making money. Majority of them has even no homes and family to take care of and take some rest. They usually continue fishing for 24 hours, which has resulted in the depletion of the fish resources. Besides over- fishing, they are also responsible for using destructive nets in the creeks of Sindh Coast, which are destroying the breeding grounds of the fish and shrimp species.

The local communities allege that the dangerous and destructive fishing nets like Boolo and Gujjo were fist introduced by the Bengali illegal immigrants on Sindh Coast. Although provincial Sindh Government has imposed ban on the use of these destructive nets in Coastal creeks, the illegal immigrants still use these nets in the creeks with the support of some influential persons.