192 EIGHTH PACIFIC SCIENCE CONGRESS 



Culture operations in East Pakistan chiefly take place in the estua- 

 rine areas. The operations which concentrate on mullets, perches and 

 prawns are simple and involve basically the construction and main- 

 tenance of bunds, the control of water movement and, where necessary, 

 some feeding. It is estimated that over 20,000 persons are engaged in 

 these culture operations. 



Fishing by capture operations is carried out in surface, middle, and 

 bottom waters. These operations at present are confined at 8—10 miles 

 from the shore and the 10-fathom line. While these operations are 

 thus confined they are also restricted in their along-shore extent. The 

 fishermen do not carry any navigational equipments nor do they have 

 any knowledge of the science of navigation. It is impossible for them 

 to go beyond the visibility of the shore. 



Fishing Season: During the months of June to August the south- 

 west monsoons are in full swing and there are heavy swells in the sea 

 making it impossible for any fishing operations to be conducted in the 

 open sea. Limited fishing is carried out in the protected waters of the 

 estuarine areas. Throughout the rest of the year fishing is conducted 

 with varying degrees of intensity in all waters. 



Fishermen: The number of fishermen engaged in marine fishing 

 in Pakistan has been estimated at 85,000. In addition to active fisher- 

 men there are those concerned in handling and transport, processing 

 and preservation, the middlemen and merchants, and market operatives. 



The fishermen live in important port towns and in isolated villages 

 along the coast. During seasons for particular fisheries, temporary col- 

 onies may also be set up. The villages are built on the sandy and un- 

 protected beaches; the huts and tenements are made of mangrove and 

 bamboo sticks, and weed mats. 



Fishing is essentially a whole-time occupation for the majority of 

 the fishing group. During the monsoons vv^hen no fishing can be con- 

 ducted in the disturbed sea, the fishermen engage themselves in making 

 and mending nets and repairing boats and fishing in protected waters. 



The fishermen are generally illiterate and unskilled. Their knowl- 

 edge of the behaviour of fish, of the weather, currents, bottom and of 

 the operation of crafts and gears is seriously limited. They are also very 

 much impoverished; their annual money income is probably, on the 

 average, 400-500 rupees (125-150 U.S. dollars) per head. 



Crafts and Gears: The crafts are plank-built, wind-driven vessels 

 ranging from 15-60 feet in length and 14 to 50 tons in capacity. They 

 are not decked in and provide no living accommodation even in the 

 larger crafts. The storage of fish is provided merely by wooden boxes 

 and holds without any ice or refrigeration. Smaller crafts carry crew 



