KARACHI: Uncontrolled fishing fleets, high bycatch and large-scale post-harvest losses are putting Pakistan’s Arabian Sea biodiversity at growing risk, WWF-Pakistan warned on Thursday ahead of World Fisheries Day, calling for urgent reforms to protect coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods that depend on them.

World Fisheries Day, observed globally on Nov. 21, highlights the mounting pressures facing marine environments, including declining stocks, habitat damage, pollution and climate-driven changes. Pakistan’s 1,001-kilometer coastline along the Arabian Sea sustains more than a million people, but conservationists say many coastal and offshore fish stocks are now overexploited, reflected in stagnating or declining landings.

WWF-Pakistan said high bycatch of endangered species such as cetaceans, turtles and other megafauna, combined with an unregulated expansion of the fishing fleet, is placing unprecedented pressure on marine biodiversity. It added that Pakistan’s fisheries sector is hampered by major post-harvest losses due to inadequate on-board handling and storage practices.

“World Fisheries Day reminds us of the urgent need to protect our natural habitats and the diverse fauna and flora that are under serious threat due to unsustainable practices and the uncontrolled increase in the fishing fleet,” said Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Adviser at WWF-Pakistan.

“While several policies and strategies are being developed to improve Pakistan’s fisheries sector, WWF-Pakistan believes that a five-pronged strategy must be implemented immediately.”

This strategy includes reducing the fishing fleet, improving on-board post-harvest handling in multiday fisheries, establishing shrimp farming clusters along the Sindh and Balochistan coasts, initiating exploratory fishing to sustainably utilize unexploited resources, and diversifying seafood products.

“Together, these measures can increase production, boost exports, and significantly improve the socio-economic conditions of coastal fishing communities,” WWF said.

The organization said such reforms could help reverse ecosystem degradation by easing pressure on depleted stocks, reducing waste and opening new avenues for sustainable seafood production. Pakistan’s location in the northern Arabian Sea, one of the region’s most biologically productive marine zones, makes protection of fragile coastal and offshore habitats essential, it added.

WWF-Pakistan noted that harmful fishing practices, weak monitoring and limited cold-chain infrastructure continue to undermine yields and degrade key habitats, including mangrove forests and offshore spawning grounds. Conservationists warn that without significant changes, biodiversity losses will accelerate and long-term economic prospects for coastal communities will deteriorate.

WWF-Pakistan, one of the country’s largest environmental organizations, has worked for decades to reduce bycatch, engage coastal communities and promote sustainable fishing practices across Sindh and Balochistan.