KARACHI – Around 60 delegates from 17 countries will participate in the 4th General Assembly of the World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP) to be organised in Karachi from April 27 to 30. The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) will host the event that is being held in Pakistan for the first time. PFF’s Sami Memon said that Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has agreed presiding over the inaugural ceremony on April 27.
“We have planned various colourful activities on the occasion including April 30 and the PFF is preparing to call hundreds of people, mostly fisherfolk representatives, farmers and oppressed communities to participate in the rally from Mazar-e-Quaid to the Karachi Press Club,” said Memon, adding that local and foreign delegates will lead the rally to express solidarity with the fisherfolk from across the globe.
The major objectives of the general assembly meeting include discussion of issues being faced by the fisherfolk of these countries and deciding how to jointly address them.
The participants will also discuss to recognise, support and enhance the role of women in the social, economic, political and cultural life of the fishing community. To create an understanding of resources as common heritage of humanity and through sustainable fishing practices, conservation of marine and inland resources are included in the meeting’s agenda. The issues encircling disputes on water territories, detaining fishermen and several international frameworks like UN law of sea, depletion of fish stocks, food security issues, depleting natural resources and climate change will also be discussed at the meeting. Global fisheries policy will also be focused to overcome the issues and bridge the gaps among states. Constitutional amendments in the WFFP constitution and discussions to strengthen WFFP shall also be held.
The meeting aims to create common understanding on the regional as well as global issues of small scale fishermen and take these issues to the global policy forums.
The WFFP is an international alliance of 36 mass-based organisations of fisherfolk working in 32 countries from all seven continents and claims to have four million members throughout the world. The forum aims at protecting the rights of communities that depend on fishing for their livelihood, represent the small scale, artisanal fishers’ interest at the international level and play the role of a global political organ of such communities.
The WFFP General Assembly is organised every three years as per its constitution. Earlier, the three constituent assembly meetings and one general body meeting have been held at Delhi in India; Loctudy in France; Kismu in Kenya and Negombo in Sri Lanka, respectively. The meetings ensure democratic functioning, elections for new office-bearers, planning out global common agenda for the artisanal and small-scale fishing communities.
