ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) on Monday called for a global moratorium on deep-sea mining, demanding participation of indigenous coastal communities in any ocean governance decision-making.
The statement came on the World Oceans Day that is observed annually on June 8 to highlight the crucial role of oceans in sustaining life on Earth, regulating the climate, and providing resources. It aims to raise global awareness of threats like plastic pollution, overfishing, and climate change.
Speaking at a community meeting in the Thatta coastal district, PFF General Secretary Saeed Baloch said as “custodians of the oceans” and the livelihoods they sustain, the Pakistani fisherfolk were deeply alarmed by the escalating push to open ocean floors to commercial mining.
“Deep-sea mining poses irreversible threats to marine ecosystems, fisheries, and the well-being of millions who depend on healthy oceans for food and income.
Scientific evidence shows that the extraction of minerals from the deep sea would destroy fragile habitats, release plumes of toxic sediments, and disrupt vital ecological processes,” he was quoted as saying by the PFF.
“These impacts could last for centuries, undermining the ocean’s role in regulating the global climate and supporting biodiversity.”
For fisherfolks, Baloch said, oceans were their workplace, culture, and source of life.
“Any activity that endangers marine health endangers our future. Deep-sea mining risks adding yet another layer of crisis to already stressed fisheries and coastal communities facing climate change, pollution, and overexploitation,” he said.
“We call on the Government of Pakistan, the International Seabed Authority, and corporations to act responsibly and prioritize the protection of the ocean over short-term profit.”
Separately, the Pakistani climate change ministry urged communities, industries and policymakers to help protect Pakistan’s marine ecosystems from escalating threats posed by climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.
It highlighted the critical role oceans play in regulating the global climate, producing oxygen, supporting biodiversity and sustaining livelihoods, warning that the degradation of marine ecosystems poses growing risks not only to coastal communities but also to national food security, economic stability and climate resilience.
According to United Nations assessments, the oceans generate at least 50 percent of the oxygen humans breathe, absorb nearly a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions and regulate weather systems worldwide. Yet, rising ocean temperatures, acidification, plastic pollution and overexploitation are pushing marine ecosystems beyond their limits. Globally, around 90pc of large fish populations have been depleted, while nearly half of the world’s coral reefs have been lost.
Pakistan’s 1,050-kilometer coastline and rich marine ecosystems, including mangrove forests, fisheries and coastal wetlands, are increasingly vulnerable to sea-level rise, marine pollution, coastal erosion, extreme weather events and warming seas. These threats directly affect the livelihoods of millions of people dependent on fisheries, coastal resources and maritime trade.
“World Oceans Day is a reminder that oceans are not distant ecosystems; they are the foundation of human survival, climate stability and economic prosperity,” said Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, a spokesperson for the climate change ministry.
“For too long, humanity has treated the ocean as an inexhaustible resource. Today, we are being called upon to reimagine our relationship with the ocean— from passive beneficiaries of its generosity to active guardians of its future,” he said.
Shaikh stressed that Pakistan remained committed to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity and was actively contributing to international efforts through the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).
He urged citizens, industries, educational institutions, fishermen, coastal communities and local governments to reduce plastic pollution, support conservation initiatives, participate in clean-up campaigns and adopt sustainable practices to safeguard marine resources for future generations.
“Lines may exist on maps, but marine life moves freely across our one shared ocean. Protecting it is a shared responsibility and a national imperative,” Shaikh added.
