By Shah Faisal

World Maritime Day is being celebrated on 26th September 2024. World Maritime Day was first held in 1978 to mark the 20th anniversary of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Convention’s entry into force. Celebrations are held throughout the world to highlight the importance of maritime sector, shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment, and to emphasize any particular aspect of IMO’s work.

This year’s theme as announced by the IMO is “Navigating the Future: Safety First!”. The aim of this theme is to emphasize on maritime safety and security, protection of the marine environment and to anticipate the fast pace of technological change and innovation. This theme focusses on number of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which include; use of modern and clean energy in maritime sector, promoting sustainable economic growth, combating climate change and most importantly using the oceans/ seas for sustainable development.

In fact, oceans are vital for life on earth. They provide key natural resources including food, medicines, biofuels and help with the breakdown and removal of waste and pollution. These are the world’s largest ecosystem, home to nearly a million known species and containing vast untapped potential for scientific discovery and their coastal ecosystems act as buffers to reduce damage from storms. The Almighty has placed countless bounties for the humankind in the seas. Large part of the world’s population resides in immediate vicinity of the seas. Some of the sectors associated with the seas include shipping, ship building, ship recycling (ship breaking), fishing, extraction of oil/ gas, tourism etc. As it is said in the Quran:

He is the One who has subjugated the sea, so that you may eat fresh meat from it, and may take out from it ornaments you wear, and you see the boats cleaving through it, and so that you may seek His bounty, and that you may be grateful

                        (Surah An Nahl Ayat 14)

Pakistan has 1000 km long coastline with sandy beaches, marshy lands, creeks and mangroves. At sea, Pakistan has 290,000 sq km of sea area under its jurisdiction with immense resources. However, on the occasion of World Maritime Day, the question arises that how much use of these resources is being made by us? Ironically, the answer is that Pakistan is not doing well in Blue Economy (a term used to represent economic activities related to the seas).

Reviewing the shipping first, international shipping transports more than 80 percent of global trade to peoples and communities all over the world. Shipping is the most efficient and cost-effective method of international transportation for most goods; facilitating commerce and helping to create prosperity among nations and peoples. Unfortunately, our national entity, Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, PNSC, owns just a handful of merchant ships out of over 100,000 vessels plying across oceans of the world. Quran emphasizes importance of shipping in these words:

In the creations of the heaven and the earth, in the cycle of night and day, in ships that plough the sea, to mankind’s benefit, ……. In these are signs for people who reflect
(Surah Al Baqarah Ayat 164)

Coming to ship building & repair, Pakistan has only one shipyard i.e Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS & EW) which was established in 1956. One of the regional giants of that time, however, it couldn’t keep pace with new trends and technologies and has not upgraded itself to build or repair large vessels. Its capabilities and contracts are limited to constructing ships and submarines for the Navy. Though it is a strategic asset of vital importance, yet lack of modernization and capacity building has considerably reduced its viability.

When it comes to ship breaking, Pakistan’s record is not that bad. Pakistan is ranked number 3 after Bangladesh and India. Ship breaking yard at Gadani can dismantle around 125 ships per year. However, working conditions are quite hazardous and pose serious risks to the laborers’ lives. Pertinent to mention here is the unfortunate fire incident onboard a ship being dismantled which claimed at least 28 precious lives in 2016. Post incident reports revealed poor safety practices and deplorable working conditions. It may be noted that Hong Kong International Convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships being implemented on 26 June next year may reduce recycling business in case of noncompliance by Pakistan.
Talking about fishing industry, fishing is a profitable profession that can bring significant foreign exchange to a country. Seafood industry of Pakistan is worth US$ 2.8 to 3.5 billion with proper value addition; however, presently fish exports receive around just US$ 400 million per annum. Despite tremendous potential, fishing industry’s contribution to national GDP remains less than 1 %. There are number of issues like overfishing, use of illegal nets, unhygienic conditions in fish handling and storage, use of primitive techniques and equipment and lack of modernization.
Pakistan has tremendous potential in the maritime sector and with effective policy making by the government it can thrive in the blue economy. Pakistan Navy, in addition to efficiently performing its core tasks, had been trying her best to raise awareness about this neglected sector. The Pakistan Navy has undertaken a number of initiatives to create maritime awareness at the national level by engaging various segments of civil society, including intelligentsia, chambers of commerce, maritime industry, universities and the media, to bring to fore the importance of the maritime sector and its immense potential into the national discourse. Establishment of National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) is one of the major steps in this direction which is aimed to act as a think tank of Pakistan in maritime policy research and raising public awareness.
While the world celebrates maritime day, we need to critically review our progress in the maritime sector and beware of the tremendous potential that we have, so as to contribute towards betterment of national economy. First step in this regard would be to overcome the Maritime Numbness which we are suffering from as a nation and start sensing the maritime potential that has been gifted to us by the Almighty.
 
The writer is a commentator on Maritime Affairs