Profile

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum founded in 5th May 1998, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) is a unique civil society organization which works for advancement of social, economic, cultural and political rights of fishermen and fishing communities in Pakistan. PFF enjoys mass support and has membership of more than 60,000 volunteers in Pakistan particularly in Sindh and Balochistan provinces
PFF’s work is being recognized as a ‘mass movement’ at national and international level. At the national level, PFF has credit to raise those important issues of fishing communities through advocacy which were otherwise neglected by the state such as ban on sea trawlers, illegal detention of Fisherfolk of India and Pakistan, abolition of contract/ lease system, Climate Change, Tax Justice and stand for equal Rights etc.
At the international level, PFF enjoys the status of international secretariat of World Forum Fisher People (WFFP). The forum has membership of 32 international organizations worldwide. In addition, PFF is also a member of Asian Forum of Fisher People (AFFP)

Mission of PFF

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum aim to protect the socioeconomic and political rights of indigenous Fisherfolk communities in Pakistan by bringing sustainability in the usage of water resources. It vows to bring a change in socio-economic conditions of these communities by ensuring the restoration of their historical ownership right in and on the water resources.

Vision

We envisage “change”. To change the policies and practices of the state and its institutions in Pakistan regarding the fisheries sector that would pave the way for a sustainable fisheries policy that will empower the fishers’ in inland and marine waters and will ensure the preservation of natural resources which are depleting in abundant quantity.

World Fisheries Day (21 Nov-2010)

Every Year International day of fisheries is commemorated throughout the world on 21 November. In order to consolidate with the day, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum held colorful rallies throughout Sindh under the theme of “Climate Change & Debt Cancellation” to support for Rehabilitation of Flood Victims and Debt cancellation campaign.

Detail Profile

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), together with the deprived, disregarded and marginalized sections of the society, intends to bring a change in the attitudes and polices of the government and its institutions. It envisages introduction of a sustainable Fisheries Policy. Its plans to revive and reestablish the historically recognized the ownership rights of the ‘Millions of the Fisherfolk Community Members’ on the Fisheries Resources of the Coasts and Inland Waters.
The PFF’s mission is protecting the livelihood resources of the Fisherfolk communities on sustainable basis. It aims at bringing positive changes in the socio-economic conditions of the Fisherfolk Communities of the country through awareness, mobilization and organization. It also works for ensuring restoration of the ownership rights of the communities on their historical/traditional fisheries resources of coastal as well as inland waters.
Organizational Objectives

1. Mobilize and organize the Fisherfolk communities dependent for their livelihood resources on Pakistan’s coast, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds and other water bodies
2. Strengthen the organizational and management capacities and skills of the local CBOs of the Fisherfolk communities besides establishing and strengthening PFU units in Fisherfolk localities, villages and towns of Pakistan
3. Struggle for the livelihood rights of the Fisherfolk communities, sustainability in the fisheries livelihoods through advocacy, information dissemination, media campaign and dialogue
4. Campaign for deracinating the causes and factors responsible for the depletion in the coastal as well as inland fisheries resources by advocating participatory approach and management systems for the protection and conservation of fisheries resources
5. Struggle for the restoration and protection of human rights of the Fisherfolk communities of Pakistan including the right to sustainable livelihoods, basic social services, right to life and security as well as right to social and political participation
6. Work for the social-economic betterment of the Fisherfolk communities and improvement in education, health, livelihoods through participatory community development activities
7. Take effort towards minimizing disaster risks faced by the communities through relief, rehabilitation as well as participatory disaster mitigation and management activities in the disaster prone areas
8. Work for the betterment of the vulnerable sections of Fisherfolk communities i.e. women and children especially for the empowerment of the women and the education and health of the children
9. Struggle for regional peace and cooperation for minimizing regional hostilities affecting the Fisherfolk communities of Pakistan and India in the form of their arrests on the allegations of crossing coastal borders and ‘prisoner of war’ like systems for the protection and conservation of fisheries resources
10. Work for the betterment of the vulnerable sections of Fisherfolk communities i.e. women and children especially for the empowerment of the women and the education and health of the children
11. Struggle for regional peace and cooperation for minimizing regional hostilities affecting the Fisherfolk communities of Pakistan and India in the form of their arrests on the allegations of crossing coastal borders and ‘prisoner of war’ like treatment meted out with them
12. Work for alternative source of employment for the women of Fishing Communities
13. Work for sustainable fisheries policy
    Organizational Outreach
    PFF started its struggle by campaigning against fishing nets and gradually got bigger its scope of activities. Initially, Coastal belts of Karachi, Thatta and Badin were primary focused areas but as its struggle expended, PFF in 2nd phase of expansion approached to Sanghar, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Qambar, Sehwan in Sindh and Gawadar, Surbander, Pasni in Balochistan. In third phase of expansion, Chashma District Mianwali, Head Tunsa Barrage, and DI Khan from Southern part of Punjab were included in operational areas of PFF.
    Organizational Approach
    PFF believes internationally accepted principle that development is not theoretical exercise to transform a certain amount of money into some other commodity or some more money. Development is about people and deals with people’s lives. Hence, PFF adopted a right based approach to achieve, by providing an effective framework for a holistic analysis of development including its social, cultural, political and economic dimension and effective tools for designing result-oriented, empowering and sustainable development strategies. Consequently, PFF through its right based approach integrates human rights of fisher communities in the development process to effectively target human freedom. However, all projects and interventions carried out by PFF are based on human rights principles. In this regard, PFF organizes and mobilizes the vulnerable fisher communities to make a collective voice of fishers. Advocating and lobbying on issues and concerns of fisher communities are main focus of PFF to get the goal. PFF while struggling for survival rights of fishers, develop and strengthen relations not only with local NGOs but ties up its association with civil societies at national and international level. While, capacity building workshops, consultative meetings, seminars, awareness campaigns, media campaigns, organizing rallies, sit-in, hunger strikes, and developing linkages with all stakeholders including fisher communities, government authorities, and elected national and provincial assembly members are basic tools used by PFF to achieve the objectives.
    Organizational Structure
    PFF is a civil society organization struggling for the rights of fisher communities in Pakistan. Its central secretariat is located in Ibrahim Hyderi Karachi and its unit offices are situated in Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Badin, Thatta, Sanghar, Qambar, and Sehwan. The Secretariat is responsible to coordinate with all its office throughout the Sindh and outside its offices. Besides, PFF Secretariat provide technical guidance and managerial support to teams based in field regarding organizing training events, consultative meetings and developing coping strategies in respective disasters in order to local context. The unit offices are directly responsible for implementing the projects and monitor the entire process. Consequently, PFF successfully developed a cadre of 25,000 volunteers with 30,000 registered members including a significant number of fisherwomen. PFF has a network of community organizations over 144 units across the Sindh and in some parts of Balochistan and is the only national level network for fishing communities.