Pakistan Territorial Sea

To establish maritime boundaries and regulate fishing in the waters of Pakistan.

Species of Concern: multiple

Restrictions

In the territorial waters of Pakistan along the coast of Balochistan Province, the following restrictions apply:
1. No person shall operate any fishing craft or use any fishing gear in Balochistan waters without a licence in the prescribed form issued by the licencing authority for each fishing craft.
2. No person shall be allowed to fish with encircling net or improvised purse seine net locally called “wire net” or “gujja” or ring net and bottom trawls locally called “trawls” or “gujja” in the close bays of Sonmiani and Kalmat and twelve nautical miles from shore along the rest of Balochistan coast.
3. No person shall willfully or otherwise use dynamite or any other explosive substance, or poison, lime, or oil, or lubricants, or radioactive substances of any description or their waste or toxics or any other noxious material harmful to the surface fish or bottom fish or to the fish anywhere in the column of the sea or destroying Phytoplankton or Zooplankton in Balochistan province fishing waters in terms of these clauses.
4. The Balochistan Government may by notification in the official Gazette declare any period to be a closed period during which, and any area to be a prohibited area within which, operation of any specified fishing craft, using, setting or placing of specified fishing gear, for catching of specified description, shall be prohibited.

In the territorial waters of Pakistan along the coast of Sindh Province, the following restrictions apply:
1. No net, cage, trap, fixed engine or any other contravance shall be used or employed in any public water for taking or catching any species of fish specified in the second column of the ‘First Schedule’ except during the period mentioned in respect of such species in the ‘fourth column’ thereof and under a licence which may be issued by such authority on such conditions and on payment of such fees, as may be prescribed.
2. No person shall kill, capture, or possess any species of fish specified in the second column of the ‘First Schedule’ of a size less than that specified in the third column thereof.
3. Government may, by notification, declare any public waters, demarcated in the prescribed manner, to be a sanctuary for the fish mentioned in the First Schedule for such period as may be specified in the notification and no fish from such waters shall be killed, captured, or possessed during the said period without a special permit issues by the Director on payment of such fees, as may be prescribed.
4. No person shall use dynamite or other explosive substances or put any poison, lime, or noxious material in any water with the intention of catching or destroying fish or aquatic life therein.
5. No effluence or waste of any factory or sewerage shall, unless it is treated and made harmless for fish and other aquatic life to the satisfaction of the Director, be discharged in any waters.
6. No fish-dealer shall purchase fish from the prescribed market or collection centre without a licence granted by such authority and on payment of such fees, as may be prescribed.
7. No person shall, for the purpose of fishing, not being sport fishing, use or operate a fishing craft without licence which may be granted by such authority on such terms and conditions and on payment of such fees, as may be prescribed. “Sport fishing” means fishing for recreation by rod and line and not for commercial purposes or earning livelihood.

Allowed

Ships of all States, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea. Please consult local laws for information on allowed activities.