Balochistan is blessed with a 750 kilometre long coastline by Almighty Allah. More than 350 species of fish can be found here, including high-quality shrimp and lobster. Common fish include Datti, Dangri, Goli, Suwa, Kund, Paplet, Pagas, Dhotor, Khagga, Dandiya, Ghushar, Ab Roz and Hera. Cutlass fish, locally known as Mahiyya, is not consumed in Pakistan but is exported in large quantities to China, Japan and other regions. Fresh fish that reach the fishery are exported, while those in poor condition are consumed locally. The fish is salted and dried in the sun or processed before export. Small and large boats are used to catch these fish. In Balochistan, fishermen and fishermen are closely related. Fishermen have lived for centuries in those areas where fishing is widespread. A family living in the area parked their boat on the beach, making it a fishing port. Many fishing ports are on the coast of Balochistan where fishermen anchor their boats. These places cannot be called fishing ports, ports, fisheries or ports. There are 35 coastal settlements in Balochistan. Notable settlements include Hord Mara, Pushkan, Sur Bandar, Gabd, Sant Sar, Kappur, Guns, Nookh Bar, Chur, Rambra, Grossant, Makola, Jafri, Had, Kolmir Sant, Taq Bandar, etc. . Fish from all these habitats are sold. in only eight places: Gwadar, Pasni, Jiwani, Pushkan, Sur Bandar, Damb, Gadani and Kund Malir. There are only three fish ports in the whole of Balochistan, located in Gwadar, Pasni and Gadani, where fish are bought at low prices and auctioned in Karachi. The freshness of the fish decreases when it arrives in Karachi, resulting in lower prices. About 8,000 to 10,000 small and big boats are involved in fishing in Balochistan coast.
Golden Beach is a coastal fishing port located on the road to Mubarak village, located on the banks of the Hub River delta. It hosts about 400 fishing boats. Its land is in Sindh and its water is in Balochistan. All fishing activities here depend on fishing in Balochistan. The harbour is frequented by amateur and professional fishermen who rent boats and sell their fish to local fishermen without taxes or records. This fish, usually in thousands of tons, is auctioned by Karachi Fisheries, where there are no government officials or facilities. The fishing port here is small and lacks facilities.
Gadani, known for its ship breaking industry, is a town located one hour from Karachi. It cannot be called a town, but it is a good picnic spot. Thousands of tourists visit on holidays, and its population increases with the arrival of ships. It was once an important industry, providing raw materials for Pakistan’s steel industry and employment for millions. However, it is not the same anymore. The news about Gadani today is mostly about ship accidents, with fatal incidents occurring during shipwrecks without apparent safety measures. There is a small fishing facility here, but it is nothing special. The fish collected here, like the other two ports, are sent to Karachi Fisheries. A few kilometres beyond Gadan is the fishing village of Alana Goth or Chhipra, which lacks facilities. Fishermen from here bring their catch to Karachi Fisheries and pay wages for transportation. A concrete shelter was built for the fishermen, but the lights were just for show and there was no electricity. A floating dock was constructed.
Damb, Kund Malir, Sept, Hingol, Ras Milan, Hord Mara, Taq Bandar and Klatto Bandar are fishing settlements between Gadan and Pasni. Dam is located 100 kilometres from Karachi in the Gulf of Meani Hor. It is known for catching quality shrimp and crab. Fish are scarce here. In the past, large and valuable fish were plentiful, but now fine nets are used to catch very small fish for bird food, known as “Gand.” Gand’s factories pollute many areas of Winder. The smell of Hand is so strong that even closed cars are unbearable. Violation of net size regulations is common here and Meani Hot is destroyed by these nets. The fishing village of Buruj, which once had 700 houses, now has about 70, while others have migrated. The home is deserted. In the past, a lot of shrimp and fish could be caught in one night without a boat, but now there is a shortage of fish. Coastal erosion is a major problem, with areas affected every year. Gradually, the markets and settlements move away from the coast. During the rainy season, water floods the residence of Buruj. It can be seen that the concrete building of the coast guard is submerged in the sea.
Kund Malir also lacks ports and facilities. If an ice truck doesn’t come one day, the whole catch is lost. Large boats are moored at a distance and the catch is brought ashore in smaller boats, adding to the cost. All items are sold at low prices in Karachi. Hingol and Ras Milan face similar problems. Fishermen struggle to survive in harsh conditions. Baloch fishermen are patient, persistent, hardworking and used to storms. Earning a living by crossing oceans, enduring extreme weather, braving typhoons and sometimes being imprisoned in other countries without guilt is their lot. The fishermen complained that agencies on both sides repeatedly arrested every single fisherman. Agencies understand marine boundaries better than fishermen. The fishermen did not cross the sea boundaries.
Pasni is a small fishing village 500 kilometres from Karachi. In 1932, during the time of Mir Ahmed Yar, coastal import and export started here thanks to his efforts. Fabrics began to arrive from Japan, sugar from Cuba, blankets and scarves from Italy. Dry and dried fish from here began to go to Colombo and India, and spices and pearls arrived here from other countries. Soon, this small fishing village became a city. In 1989, a German company turned it into a modern fishing port and handed it over to the Pasni Fishing Port Authority, which led to vibrant fishing activities. Ice and fish factories were established. It later became the Dubai of Makran. In 2006, activities decreased when the Authority’s dredge failure led to the collapse of the fishing port. Some work has been done, but remains incomplete. The port of Pasni is not safe for boats; they were corrupted, causing great loss. The wind flooded the harbour with mud. Excavation machines from Karachi come and go after part-time work. The port needs its dredging unit for continuous maintenance. Protests over demands continue and fishermen suffer from hunger.
Between Hord Mara and Pasni are Taq Bandar and Klatto Bandar. In addition is the Kalmat area with many fishing settlements. Residents live by the sea, park their boats there and sell their fish at the local Hord Mara market. They have no facilities. Fishermen from small villages like Shamal Bandar, Kappur, Chhor and Shenzar between Pasni and Gwadar are struggling in their profession. Shamal Bandar is known for its high quality prawns, which are exported all over the world.
Gwadar is steeped in history. This area of Makran is also known as Drought Valley. When there was a famine during the time of Prophet David (peace be upon him), people migrated from the Sinai Valley to this place. Alexander the Great’s army, returning from this region, lost 70% of its soldiers due to the hot climate. One of his admirals mentioned Gwadar, Chah Bahar, Qilmat and Peshkin in his memoirs. For thousands of years, this area was under the kings of Iran. The empire of Cyrus the Great was succeeded by Alexander the Great, then Chandragupta, Muhammad bin Qasim, the Mughals and then the Portuguese, who burned the cities of Pasni and Gwadar. The region saw various rulers such as Bledai, Orgach and Rind. It was conquered and ruled by the Khan of Kalat and Mir Nasir Khan. The rulers of Muscat leased it. Eventually, in 1958, the Pakistani government bought it from Oman for ten million dollars, annexing it to Pakistan. Historically, due to its location on one of the world’s busiest sea routes, it has been a popular and busy port. Trade included ivory, spices, woollen clothing, African slaves, mats, dried fish and other goods between the Arab regions and Central Asia. Its population is less than one hundred thousand. Today, Gwadar is developing rapidly. Under the CPEC agreement, China took over the management of the port and built a modern port. One phase, including three beds and a ramp, has been completed. Fixed cranes, mobile cranes and other cargo handling equipment required for port operations have been installed. Today, ships weighing up to 250,000 tons can dock here. Gwadar is connected to China, Iran and Afghanistan through land routes. It is set to become an international city, with tax free zones encouraging investment. Property prices have risen several times and this could change the fortunes of landless fishermen.
Beyond Gwadar is the area of Jiwani, with fishing settlements all the way to the Iranian border. Pushkan is an important fishing port where fish is sold from the surrounding fishing settlements. The last ice house is in Jiwani. Jiwani does not have an aeroplane
