PFF Flood Daily Report August 29

Qambar-Shahdadkot

members of three families at the time of reaching at safe locations

PFF teams evacuated the whole village of Bhandari Vandh (160 individuals)
where the locals were trapped in flood water, which surrounded their village
after the breach in RBOD. In that village the residents were facing acute
shortage of food and water. They were forced to use the flood water, which
caused gastro, intestinal diseases and has taken the lives of four children
in the said village before any help arrived to them.



PFF Team rescues sinking boat

Bringing in food aidPFF teams rescued 9 passengers and 2 crew members of a
private boat, which overturned and put the lives of all 11 individuals at
risk at Panhwaro dropping point in Qambar tehsil. PFF team was on the way to
evacuate the stranded villagers spotted the event and rushed to the site to
save the lives. PFF's expert divers saved all 11 lives. As the news of
overturned boat spread to the city, Pak Navy and local authorities issued a
ban on all of the private boats operating in the area except PFF's boats.
Now in the whole district only PFF and Pak Navy are operating to rescue the
stranded villagers. According to locals they feel safe while being evacuated
by PFF boats. Most of them refused to be evacuated by Pak Navy.



Legislators, media persons visit PFF



1. Ms. Sabina - German National Radio

2. Mr. Gethin Chamberlain - The Observer UK

3. Ms. Tauqeer Fatima - MPA Sindh

4. Mr. Ramesh Lal - MNA

5. Mr. Aamir Magsi - MNA

6. Mr. Nadi Magsi - Provincial Minister of Food



All of the visitors have appreciated the work doing PFF and its staff's
determination.



PFF team doing assessment

PFF also sent its 16 members team for the assessment of the families living
at various locations to see how they are living without any shelter and
proper food. PFF will get 1000 plastic sheets along with rope and bamboo for
shelter, which will be distributed among the affected population of district
Qambar-Shahdadkot.

Total number of evacuated individuals for the day stands at 236 including
160 evacuated from Bhandri Vandh.

Kashmore

FOODPFF teams evacuated 35 families in Kashmore district, who were trapped
in the area under the flood water. PFF boats brought them to safer places.
PFF also distributed cooked food among 380 families living at scattered
camps.







Jamshoro

PFF teams were assessing the losses of property, houses damages and
immediate needs of the flood affected families in Jamshoro District, which
is still facing water pressure. A large number of families are stranded in
the flood water. There are more camps where the area people are living in
government buildings.

Manchhar Water Updates



PFF team monitoring the water flowing from different natural resources to
the Manchhar Lake said there are three drains carrying water flowing to the
Lake. The water has covered the wide area of five kilometers, looking
another River. The water reached Hamal Lake Regulator and may reach
Faridabad. They believe that it may inundate parts of major towns and
adjoining areas of Dadu district, Mehar and Khairpur Nathan Shah through MNV
Drain, which is flowing from the Hamal lake, Qambar District. The capacity
of MNV drain is just carrying 3500 cusec water while presently it is
carrying 15,000-20,000 cusecs water, which may cause more breaching and
inundation of wide areas on its way to reach the Manchhar lake. It is green
belt of Dadu, where paddy is major crop. The growers are facing traumatic
situation due to loss of the entire crops.

Today PFF Thatta:

WATER-2PFF has provided drinking water to 15 thousand affected individuals
at Makli Thatta, while PFF has also provided cooked food to 300 families and
50 families to religious minorities. Team has evacuated more than 20,000
individuals in last four days. Three water tankers of PFF providing water in
to the camps. More than two hundred thousand people are at Makli in Thatta.
Sijawal which is one of the taluka of Thatta is comes under water partially.
7 Mazda's of fisherfolk are providing transportation facilities to affected
people.

Pakistan releases 100 Indian fishermen held past jail term

Link for Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/shuja98/IndianPrisoners?feat=directlink

KARACHI: Pakistan on Monday released 100 Indian fishermen imprisoned for fishing in its territorial waters, officials said, after lobby groups said they were being detained beyond their jail terms.
Another 342 fishermen will also be released in the coming week after serving their sentences, deputy superintendent of Landhi prison Shakir Shah told AFP.
Pakistan and India frequently seize each other's fishermen, accusing them of violating their respective zones in the Arabian Sea.
Two lobby groups for Pakistani fishermen had filed a case seeking the release of the Indian fishermen in Pakistan's Supreme Court, and it was still being heard when the authorities made the sudden decision to release them.
“We informed the Supreme Court that the detention of those Indian fishermen who had completed their sentences was unlawful,” said Shujauddin Qureshi, a spokesman for the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research.
“We are surprised that the government released the fishermen while the petition is still pending before the court.”
Hundreds of Indians and Pakistanis are languishing in prisons on both sides of the border on charges of spying or illegal entry. – AFP

Link for news:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-pakistan-releases-indian-fishermen-held-beyond-jail-terms-ss-03

Shujauddin Qureshi
Senior Research Associate
Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER),
Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi-75340

Andrew Johnston of AFA-S.Africa Report from Committee on World Food Security

World Forum of Fisher Peoples Members,

REPORT OF ROME MEETING

Representatives of Social Organizations on the Mechanism of Civil Society Organizations of the Committee on World Food Security was attended by delegates from twelve countries, Action Aid and the Governance Working Group of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty.. The agenda brief was to the process and proposals for an International Food Security and Nutrition Civil Society Mechanism for relations with the Committee on World Food Security {U.N}.
For the first time in the history of the U.N. system representatives of the small-scale food producers and other civil society organizations along with private sector, BINGOS {Big International Non-Governmental Organizations} and other stakeholders will be full participants and not just observers of the intergovernmental process.Civil society will be a formal participants in the new Committee on World Food Security even in the annual global meeting, although voting rights will continue to be reserved for member governments, -civil society and non-governmental organizations and their networks will be "non-voting participants". This means that we will have the right to intervene in plenary and breakout discussions to contribute to the preparation of meeting documents and agendas and to represent documents and proposals. The opening of this space should increase social participation in International policy making, contributing hopefully to more effective food security and nutrition strategies. This Committee on Food Security will no be limited to a single global session each year. It is foreseen that a series of on going activities will now take place between one season and another linking national, regional and global levels in which Civil Society Organizations will have an important role to play.In order to play its part in this new international institutional framework it is foreseen that civil society will build its own autonomous mechanism for participation in CFS activities, discussion, negotiations and decision-making. It was acknowledged that the Civil Society Mechanism may not function perfectly during the first year of operation 2010/2011, however ever effort will be made to ensure that processes to select members to the COORDINATION COMMITTEE, members of the CFS Advisory Group that this will include the broadest range of civil society actors and are as inclusive and as transparent as possible. Recognizing the challenges of establishing a global CSM of this nature, focal points will be selected to CSM and CFS roles for an initial period of one year. An evaluation of the CSM will be held in OCTOBER 2011 and improvements made to its functioning, including the composition of the CC in terms of regional, gender and constituency balance. Subsequently post holders will be selected for a 2 year period in line with the procedures of the CFS itself.

"Civil society organizations/NGOs and their networks will be invited to autonomously establish a global mechanism for food security and nutrition which will function as a facilitating body for CSO/NGOs consultation and participation in the CFS. Such mechanisms will also serve inter-sessional global, regional, and national actions in which organizations of those sectors of the population most affected by food insecurity, would be accorded priority representation. Civil society organizations/ NGOs will submit to the CFS Bureau a proposal regarding how they intend to organize their participation in the CFS in a way that ensures broad and balanced participation by regions and types of organizations keeping in mind the principles approved by the CFS at its 34th Session in October 2008."

The eleven constituencies identified are the following;

Smallholder family farmers
Artisanal Fisherfolk
Herders/Pastoralists
Landless Peoples
Urban poor
Agricultural and food workers.
Women
Youth
Consumers
Indigenous Peoples
NGOs

CC {Co-ordinating Committee} is responsible for ensuring that the functions of the CSM {Civil Society Mechanism} are carried out as effectively as possible and according to the organizing principles. This body will be established, composed of constituency and sub-regional focal points as follows - proposed to try for 6, [originally mooted as 4] from smallholder family farmer/fishers and two from each of the other constituencies mentioned above and 1 focal point from each sub-region as suggested

North America
Central America and Caribbean
Andean Region
Southern Cone
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
West Asia
South Asia
South-East Asia
Central Asia
Oceania and Pacific
Southern Africa
West Africa
East Africa
Central Africa
North Africa.

I was at loss to the agenda of the meeting as I was mandated to fight for our participation and integration at FAO, only to find that it was already accepted as such. The rules and regulation document was not sent to me which put me at a great disadvantage and the question is why were we not informed previously and to why did WFFP not give written input to this document and who has possession of it? The meeting was of a very good nature and well run and very enlighten, it was felt although the new CFS will not address all the solutions to the problems, we need to be involved and fight to get our members on the new committees and begin to now lobby our government as never before. Regional nominations for the organizations to attend Rome C.C. and the November Forum has to forwarded as soon as possible. There is at this moment finance for approximately one hundred delegates but they are hoping to receive funding later for more to attend, but this will be of a late arrangement. Once nominated for the C.C. for the October meet it cannot be changed under any circumstances as one of their mandate is to organize the November Forum. One should not expect much from the October meeting as to policy as governments will attempt to again dominate decision-making. Note for this meet civil society will electe through regional groups - so please WFFP should organize their delegates accordingly. I had come to an arrangement with Margaret of WFFF that they will send the woman delegate as to the 50/50 gender balance and we the other for our international fishing organizations. Also from the South African Region we [Margaret [Uganda] Renaldo [Mozambique], Myself. {South Africa} will receive he nominations and filter the three constituencies - Landless, Women, Farm workers that will be allowed to attend the October meet in Rome.
I am hoping that on the 14th when the debate on food sovereignity takes place at the Riverside club starting at 9.00am I will be able to identify the organizations then.

Andrew Johnston
WFFP delegate

PFF, PILER distribute essential items among detained Indian fishermen in Malir prison

A joint delegation of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) distributed clothes, chappal and other essential items among 295 Indian fishermen, detained in Malir District Jail, here on Saturday.
Most of these fishermen are detained for many years without any trial or detained after completion of their sentences. Total 582 Indian fishermen are languishing in four jails of Sindh province – Malir District Jail (Karachi), Nara Jail (Hyderabad), District Jail Badin and District Jail Naushehro Feroz. All these fishermen are waiting for their deportation as the exchange of fishermen between two countries has been halted particularly after Mumbai terrorist attacks.
About 150 Pakistani fishermen are also detained in various jails of India waiting to be released in a ‘tit-for-tate’ deal. Under the Pakistani laws, prisoners who have completed their terms could be detained only for the next three months. However, after expiry of that period, either the prisoners should be freed or the government has to seek permission from the Supreme Court’s review board for further detention. In the case of Indian fishermen, the government has been seeking permission from the review board, which allowed that these fishermen be kept in jails.
A PFF and PILER delegation had visited the Malir district jail early this month to get signatures of few Indian fishermen inmates for the constitution petition which is being filed in Supreme Court to release the detained Indian fishermen. A similar petition has also been filed by Indian NGOs in Supreme Court of India.
Assistant Superintendent of Malir District Jail Shahabuddin Siddique assisted the visit of the delegation and also supervised the distribution of the essential items among Indian fishermen. He informed the delegation that the government is already providing all the essential goods to these inmates. They are also receiving adequate medical facilities, he added.
PFF delegation comprised of General Secretary of PFF Saeed Baloch, Ayoub Shan, Talib Katchi, Moosa Charan, where as PILER delegation included Secretary of PILER Board B. M. Kutty, Sharafat Ali, Shujauddin Qureshi and Ghulam Hussain Gabol.
Ends


Shujauddin Qureshi
Senior Research Associate
Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER),
Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi-75340

Scientists warn that GLENCAIRN PERMT A THREAT TO LINEFISH.

The scientists who are promoting the unsustainibility of net fishing in Glencairn are not only facile but dangerously misleading. These fish harvesters have a long history of operation and are a practice that is strongly rooted in customs and tradition that as to be inviolable as law. There is a long history of antagonistic behavior towards the net trekkers along the Simonstown coastline due to attempts to keep the area exclusively for whites and conservation was the main tool used to get them out of the area. The very birth of the struggle against racism and oppression of the fishers within the apartheid times culminated from the Southern Cape area of False Bay and Ocean view where sexual favors, bribery, defiance, corruption and violence were to play a part. What raised controversy and is questionable was that during the allocation process four new entrants were allowed in the False Bay area while three groups of fishers who for years had being irking a livelihood out of net fishing were marginalized. Many fish working communities over the years have developed their own systems for managing the way fisheries resources were exploited, these systems under traditional social, economic and technological conditions often supported the sustainable use of the resources and the benefits from this. The systems introduced under the apartheid and recent Quota system conflicted directly with traditional practices and thus most of these policies have failed and has contributed to a fragmented society in disharmony and wide-scale poaching. Their predicted assessments by marine scientists around the world were proven to be wildly inaccurate and therefore notions that marine science is the beginning and end of it and their results are sacred are today being challenged as never before by fishers themselves and so-called maverick scientists. Most of the calculations done on the resource are just only predictions and the analytical methods adopted by our scientists have been inherently socially and politically biased. Sanctioned or not the inshore fishers knowledge has proved to be a great deal more valuable than the scientists, but arrogance , aloofness and their harmonious relationship with the old industrial establishments is making a marriage between them and us extremely difficult. To blame the small-scale or even the recreational fishers for denuding the ocean is to render invisible the deep-seated structural causes of over-fishing in our countries waters. Many problems should be taken into consideration if conservation is to be addressed in the False Bay area such as pollution, dumping, excess warship maneuvering, encroaching developments, inshore trawling and long-lining. It should be recognized that access to food is a fundamental human right and states have an obligation to respect, promote and protect the full realization of the right to adequate food by not taking any measures that result in preventing such access. The interim rights is basically a social net which is a temporary transfer program which seeks to reduce poverty amongst the vulnerable fishers and to assure a minimum of food while a new policy is being drafted. Fish is considered the food of the poor and the catches from the False Bay area has played an important role in this aspect by always provided this source of cheap food for the surrounding communities. We are facing poverty, unemployment, food insecurity as never before and the great challenge in order to address this is that restitution, transformation and a review has to take place within the fishing industry and here science must along with us play a positive role. The removal of the net trekking rights has plunged numerous families into more abject poverty and hunger than they were already experiencing, and they cannot understand why their plight is the result of guesswork by scientists. The fundamental element in building a successful fisheries management system and sustain the resource is to empower the fish harvesting communities and embrace their knowledge. All they want is to be accepted as human beings with the right to provide for their families, a just livelihood along with adequate food and to lead a life of dignity and not to be impoverished by prejudicial and guessing scientific mumbo-jumbo.
Andrew Johnston
Artisanal Fishers Association.
No 9. 8th Avenue
Fairways. 7800
South Africa
Phone—0217059183
Cell-- 0822933464

TN protests over death of fisherman, blames Lanka

Express news service
Tags : Nagapattinam, Sri Lankan Navy, Fisherman
Posted: Fri Jul 09 2010, 23:55 hrs Chennai:
The fishing community in Tamil Nadu is up in arms after a fisherman from Nagapattinam district died following an alleged assault by Sri Lankan Navy personnel. The state government has lodged a strong protest about the incident with the Centre.
Chellappan (55) was the oldest among four fishermen from Vellapallam, near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam, who took to the sea on Wednesday. They were reportedly caught by the Navy personnel while fishing off the Kodaikarai coast on Wednesday night. The Lankan personnel are alleged to have thrown their nets and catch into the sea and then attacked them.
Chellappan reportedly died due to the beating and his body was brought to Nagapattinam General Hospital on Thursday morning, police said. Local sources said that fishermen on two other boats were also threatened though the police have not received any formal complaint. The fishing community has charged the Lankan Navy with regular battery and destruction of their boats.
Sources in the Coastal Security Group, the sea wing of the state police said that the fishermen may have strayed into Lankan waters. "Fishermen follow their catch and many a time stray into their waters. But there are no cases of their Navy entering, nor do we do that," said an official.
CM M Karunanidhi urged the Centre to intervene. "Even though several appeals have been made by the Tamil Nadu Government to the Prime Minister and the concerned Union Ministers through letters as well as in person, such tragic incidents have not stopped. Whenever such incidents take place, we appeal to the Union Government and they in turn make an appeal or write to the Sri Lankan Government as a measure to placate us; however such incidents keep recurring," he said in a statement. The state government has announced relief of Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
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APOSTLESHIP OF THE SEA- Stella Maris

Sea Sunday Message 11th July 2010
Issued by the Vatican AOS office:
The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People
90th Anniversary of the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) & 2010 is 'Year of the Seafarer'




Dear chaplains, volunteers, friends and supporters of the Apostleship of the Sea,
T
he International Maritime Organization (IMO) has declared 2010 the “YEAR OF THE SEAFARER”. We pay tribute to the 1.5 million seafarers for their unique contribution to society at large. While sailing across the seas of the world many Seafarers find themselves in difficult situations created by nature, but often also by people. We need to increase awareness about these matters.
Seafarers are usually defined as “invisible people”, passing quickly through the ports. The annual celebration of Sea Sunday invites all Christian communities to see and recognize them as “real people” who, with their hard work and sacrifices, make our lives more comfortable.
Seafarers labour differently compared to those who work on land. We do not see them going to work every day. Their contract requires from them to leave wife, children, family and friends for a long period of time. They sail from port to port often in isolated places with little time to go ashore before they sail out again. The perimeter of the vessel is the limit of their world, the confined space of the cabin is their 'home'. They share their work with people of different nationalities and religions, often using a “Babel of languages” to communicate. For seafarers loneliness is a constant companion. Injustices are frequent. Moreover in these times of economic crisis crews are easily abandoned in foreign ports. “Pirate” attacks are becoming more rampant. When an accident occurs criminalization and detention are sometimes the price they pay on behalf of the vessel owner or the chatterer.
Technological progress has made many changes in the maritime world improving safety and reliability of the vessels. Turn-around time in ports is too fast and brief. However what continues unchanged and provided by the AOS is that which relates to human needs of seafarers and fishers. These needs are simple- a warm welcome in a foreign country, a vehicle to transport them to the city, a telephone or a computer to connect with their family and loved ones, a priest to celebrate Holy Mass –(if they are Catholic)-- or bless them, a friend to listen to their stories and problems, a volunteer or a pastoral agent to visit them in hospital or in prison.
The Apostleship of the Sea was founded by a small group of committed lay people in Glasgow 90 years ago on the 4th October 1920, to provide spiritual and material assistance to “neglected” Catholic seafarers and to provide for their needs. Since then it has grown beyond all expectation. - 67 countries , 167 ports, more than 400 Stella Maris Centres or outreach stations - Looking back at its humble beginning we can see the providential hand of God in the way in which the AOS has spread throughout the world.
Providing pastoral care, especially through ship visiting for seafarers and fishers remains our main concern as it was at the origin of this Apostolate. Therefore, we would like to encourage everyone to continue to support this “Work” hoping that the local Churches will be more and more involved in this pastoral care.
The Apostleship of the Sea, with its network of “Stella Maris” and Centres around the world, is always available to respond to the seafarers' requests, welcoming them to 'a home away from home' and making their life a little easier.
The chaplains and volunteers in many ports of the world are visiting hundreds of vessels, welcoming thousands of seafarers of all religions and nationalities offering counselling, clothing, telephone cards, money and providing 'a safe and secure port' in times of crisis; last but not least, helping to maintain in their lives the openness towards transcendental values.
On the international and national level the Apostleship of the Sea also does advocacy work to promote seafarers rights and provide justice for seafarers.
In remembering its 90th FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY and celebrating the Year of the Seafarer, we would like to make an appeal to the States to speed up the ratification of the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention, a fundamental instrument to improve the working and living conditions of seafarers.
Message issued by the Vatican office of the AOS
Published and circulated with emphasis, italics, editions
by Fr. Xavier Pinto, C.Ss.R.National Director AOS India and Regional Coordinator South Asia and Gulf States.
Redemptorist Fathers, 876, Alto Porvorim.GOA. India. 403521
stellamarisindia@yahoo.com


Finally everyone on this occasion is invited to pause for a moment and pray for them and their families. We recommend to Mary, Star of the Sea, the chaplains and volunteers who every day generously walk along piers, climb gang ways and show love and concern for “those who for various reasons live and work in the maritime world” (Motu Proprio Stella Maris, Introduction).