Fishing season begins after two month break

Written By Naeem Khan

It is informed to all concerned that fishing season is going to begin from August, 1 this year. Port Clearance (PCs), Passes and other documents to crew of deep Sea going fishing boats, vessels and launches are being issued by Fisheries and Sea Custom departments.

The government imposes a ban every year on fishing between June and July as it is a breeding season in the coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan to ensure protection and preservation of young fish species, including the shrimp.

The Pakistani territorial waters are considered rich in marine life with a vast variety of species having a huge commercial value. However, this potential is never fully reflected in the country's export earnings from fisheries sector.

Fishermen are preparing to take on the high Seas again as the fishing activity resumes after a two months break. Some are busy breaking up slabs of ice before loading them onto the boats, some are loading gas cylinders and food rations while others checked their nets for tears and holes that needed mending. 

As the deep sea fishing season will resume here on Saturday, Ist August 2015 with prayers and handing of permits to fishermen reading their boats for long fishing expeditions in the deep sea.

Our fishing boats, vessels and launches are ready to sail from different fishing harbours and jetties on August 1 this year for catching fishes and other Sea foods items. 

Please don't hesitate to ask any question from us, if any by e-mail: khan.traders021@gmail.com or Mobile # +923012352959 or visit our blog:http://khanfishmeal.blogspot.com/ or follows on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KhanFishMeal 

Fishermen turn down draft of Sindh Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2015

KARACHI: The fishermen have rejected the Sindh Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2015 during a provincial dialogue on fisheries policy and fisheries related legislation in Sindh organised by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF).

The fishermen’s representatives argued that the bill would bring the controversial fishing contract system back to the province’s inland and marine waters and deprive small fishermen of their livelihoods.

Highlighting their concerns, the speakers regretted that an attempt was being made to re-introduce the controversial contract system that was abolished after a long struggle in 2011 through an amendment to the fisheries ordinance of 1980.

“The proposed bill that would replace all previous legislations and is presently with the law department for vetting is in contrast to fishermen’s fundamental rights. We hope that the government would consider our demand and drop the clauses in the proposed draft that speak about the lease fishing system,” said Mustafa Gurgaze of the PFF.

According to him, the proposed bill is not in accordance with the International Labour Organization convention on fisheries and makes no mention of important issues like climate change and disaster risk reduction.

Minister of fisheries and livestock Jam Khan Shoro, director inland fisheries Khawar Pervaiz Awan, Haji Shafi Jamote, Zulfiqar Ali Shah representing the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research also spoke on the occasion.

News Source:http://customstoday.com.pk/f

One Of The Most Trusted Name In Fish Meal Industry

Written By Naeem Khan

We are one of the top most leading manufacturers, processors, exporters and suppliers of pure fish meal an ingredient of poultry and animal feed in Ibrahim Haidari, the hub of fresh fish and seafood in Karachi Pakistan.

We are pleased to introduce ourselves under the title of "KHAN TRADERS" dealing with poultry and animal feed. We are a company that manufactures pure fish meal for poultry feeds from the fresh raw fish species caught from Arabian Sea. This raw material is brought to shore by a contact fleet of dedicated fishing vessels and trawlers. We make sure to keep the freshness of raw fish when the vessels and boats landing. Our fish meal is produced in a very careful environment while keeping the HACCP in full check.

Khan Traders is an ambitious trading company with an extensive background in preparation of fish meal beside catching fresh fish and seafoods marketing. Aspiring to be a one of the most trusted name among fish meal manufacturers, Khan Trader’s fish meal is backed by research, state of the art production process and high standers of quality.

With the best quality products at a very reasonable rate. Please do contact us for further details. looking forward to have a business deal with you in the times to come.

Please feel free to contact Khan Traders Karachi by e-mail: khan.traders021@gmail.com or Mobile # +923012352959 or visit our blog: http://khanfishmeal.blogspot.com/

Fishermen Catch Huge Numbers of Live Venomous Sea Snakes

 Journey to the Gulf of Thailand to witness the venomous sea snake trade with Emerging Explorer Zoltan Takacs.

Scientists sound a conservation alarm on the harvest of over 80 tons of sea snakes each year in the Gulf of Thailand.

By Jane J. Lee

National Geographic

 Fishermen wading barefoot through a writhing ball of venomous serpents can pay a high price for participating in the Gulf of Thailand's (map) sea snake harvest. Some die from snakebites, according to a recent study that suggests the snake catch may be one of the biggest hauls of marine reptiles in the world.

 Scientists published estimates of the catch size in the journal Conservation Biology in December, along with some of the first research documenting who's buying and selling sea snakes and the fishery's indirect role in rhino poaching

 Fishermen bitten by their deadly catch believe that drinking ground-up rhino horn—or putting chunks of horn on the wound—can cure them. (See "Why African Rhinos Are Facing a Crisis.")

Caught in the glare of artificial lights, these sea snakes are destined for dinner plates and use in traditional medicines.

Photograph by Zoltan Takacs

Some scientists are raising concerns about the practice. Little is known about the region's sea snakes, including what species and how many live there, so it's not clear whether the harvest is sustainable.

An overharvest, these researchers worry, could jeopardize potential medicinal discoveries. Compounds in venom, once processed and administered in controlled amounts, can be beneficial in treating human ailments like heart disease.

The sea snake catch—a side job for the region's Vietnamese squid fishers—takes in over 80 tons (73 metric tons) of the marine reptile annually. That's roughly 225,500 individual sea snakes per year, valued at over $3 million.

Fishermen bitten by sea snakes use treatments that contain rhinoceros horn (shown above), which has no proven medical benefits.

Photograph by Zoltan Takacs

The fishery of opportunity occurs during squid hunts conducted each lunar cycle before the moon gets too bright.

Most of the sea snakes end up in China and Vietnam, says the study's lead author Zoltan Takacs, whose work was funded by the National Geographic Society. Restaurants use the meat in soups and employ either the whole animal or just its blood in alcoholic beverages.

The snake's organs, including the heart and gallbladder, play central roles in concoctions meant to relieve maladies such as joint pain, anorexia, and insomnia.

Little is known about sea snakes in the Gulf of Thailand, so researchers aren't sure whether current harvest levels are sustainable.

Photograph by Zoltan Takacs

Lost Medicines?

Hunting snakes for food or medicinal purposes is nothing new, says John Murphy, a sea snake researcher at the Field Museum in Chicago. "[And] the Gulf of Thailand harvest seems to be driven by the Chinese market," says the biologist, who was not involved in the study.

Snakes figure prominently in traditional Chinese medicines, Murphy says. Coupled with the country's strong economy, "the demand for snakes—not just sea snakes—is huge." (See why "China's Expanding Middle Class Fuels Poaching, Decadence in Myanmar.")

Fishermen handle their highly venomous catch with little or no protection, often wading into pens barefoot and grabbing sea snakes with their bare hands.

Photograph by Zoltan Takacs

The demand extends to Western medical practices in other parts of the world, says Takacs, a pharmacologist specializing in animal toxins at ToxinTech in New York City.

"Out of the top three heart attack medications, two of them come from snake venoms," he says.

The potential uses of venoms in the sea snakes in the Gulf of Thailand haven't been studied, says Takacs. "So we absolutely have no idea what kind of venoms or toxins we are eating away."

Follow Jane J. Lee on Twitter.

Sea snakes destined for market are sorted by weight and can fetch up to $20 per pound.

Photograph by Zoltan Takacs

News Source:http://news.nationalgeographic.com

Ban on landing of trash fishes at Karachi Harbour: fish traders' strike enters third day

 
  
RECORDER REPORT

Fish traders' strike on Wednesday entered third day against official ban on landing of trash seafood at Karachi Fish Harbour, fishermen said. Fishermen said the strike reduced the fish and shrimp rates by 50 percent within the last three days, adding that the government and traders dispute has badly hit their living.

They feared there are several boats anchored at the harbour with loaded seafood stuff during the last three days. "The seafood stuff loaded in the boats is likely to decay as the cooling in holds is gradually losing," fishermen said. The government has suddenly imposed ban on trash fish and shrimp landing and disallowed all coming boats to landing their catch. "The policy should be implemented with consensus and with clear warnings to boats," they noted.

The ordinance, which the government has implemented now, has been in place for the last 28 years but the authorities paid any head to the grim situation that the country's seas are facing from growing seabed trawling. "The government and traders should end their dispute immediately to facilitate the local fishermen, whose earnings are relied on sales of fish and shrimp to maintain their families amid growing inflation," they said.

They said the government continued to spare the sea-lords, who are using the banned nets for seafood catch in creeks. The nets are so thin that catch undersized shrimp and fish species which are not fit for human consumption and sold at cheaper rates as trash stuff. "The government should evolve fisheries policy keeping in view the world standards in collaboration with local fishermen and then implement it effectively and indiscriminately across the coastal belt of Sindh province," they said.

 News Source

Protest and Strike of Fishermen Against Govt: of Sindh Fisheries & Live Stock Department.

 
Catching and landing of wet fishes and processing of fishmeal have been stooped in the result of a strike which is being observed under protest against Sindh Government Fisheries & Live Stock department for undeclared period. It was decided in a joint meeting of fishermen & fishmeal manufacturers/ exporters which was held at Ibrahim Haidri Goth Karachi yesterday against illegal raids over the fishmeal factories/ plants and to seal them by Govt: of Sindh Fisheries & Live Stock department. It was discussed that despite of restricted through stay orders by Honorable Sindh High Court Karachi, some officers of Sindh Govt: have been harassing fishmeal factories/ plants owners and workers not to process fishmeal alleging that it contains prohibited fish species catches through illegal fishing nets.

Fishmeal is produced automatically or manually from different wild-caught wet/ dried marine fish species which have low weight and reduced size and they ever remains naturally in their original low live weight from 5 mg to 200 mg similarly reduced size from 2 inches to 6 inches. The said wild-caught small marine fish contain a high percentage of bones and oil, and is usually deemed not suitable for direct human consumption in Pakistan and worldwide. The fish caught for fishmeal purposes solely are termed industrial. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_meal]. Hence, there is no question of alleged illegal fishing nets and so-called prohibited fish species arose in the recent issue malafidely  raised by Govt: of Sindh Fisheries & live Stock department.

16-foot great white shark spotted near Australian beach

By: Tanya Lewis, LiveScience


Cage diving with great white sharks is one thing. Spotting one at a local beach is quite another! (Photo: Hermanus Backpackers/Flickr)

A massive great white shark has been spotted swimming close to an Australian beach, scaring the locals and forcing the beach to close, according to news reports.

The female shark, nicknamed "Joan of Shark" by local fisherman, is more than 16 feet (5 meters) long and weighs about 1.8 tons (1.6 metric tons), The Telegraph reported. Signals from a satellite tag on the shark alerted authorities to its location, and city officials warned residents of Albany, Western Australia, to stay out of the water.

Joan was the largest of her kind to be electronically tagged. Fisheries protection officers injected an external tracking device in the shark and tracked her for three weeks. They captured the shark again a week later and placed a more sophisticated tag in her stomach that will enable the officers to track her for at least a decade, The Telegraph reported. A network of more than 300 monitors on the seabed can pinpoint the shark's movements, sending signals via satellite to warn authorities of her whereabouts. [Image Gallery: Great White Shark Pictures]

The shark may have smelled a dying humpback whale that was beached in the area, a spokesman for the state department of fisheries said, according to The Telegraph.

Great white sharks are the largest predatory fishes on the planet. They can reach up to 20 feet (6 m) in length and weigh up to 2.5 tons (2.3 metric tons).

They are highly intelligent and curious creatures, with well-developed senses. They can swim at speeds of up to 15 mph (24 km/h), and can leap completely out of the water when hunting prey. They attack quickly, from below, and pack a powerful, sometimes deadly, bite.

These massive sharks have 300 teeth, arranged in up to seven rows. Young great whites feed on fish, rays and other small sharks. Adults hunt harbor seals, sea lions and elephant seals, or scavenge whale carcasses for the blubber.

Great whites have been known to attack humans, but not eat them. Great white sharks have killed a number of swimmers and divers off the coast of Western Australia in the past four years.

Source:  http://www.mnn.com