Karachi (AFP) – In a coastal suburb of Karachi, in southern Pakistan, craftsmen perched on rounded hulls shape traditional wooden fishing boats in the open air, guardians of a heritage passed down from generation to generation.
Published on: 01/09/2026 - 09:05
Several centuries old, the district of Ibrahim Hyderi "gave birth to Karachi", a large Pakistani port on the Indian Ocean, "and to its fishing sector", boasts Mehran Ali Shah, of the NGO Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum which defends the traditions of the fishing community.
Despite the emergence of industrial shipyards, the hand assembly of trawlers, sleeper after sleeper, remained alive and well.
Between the hammering of nails in the wood, the grinding of saws and the hum of sanders, Muhammad Asif, 22, says he learned the art of building these traditional fishing boats from his father.
“I was attracted to this work. It had always been my passion, that’s why I chose this profession,” he said, his face covered in sawdust.
Like the other craftsmen, he starts his day at 7:00 a.m. (02:00 GMT) and does not come home for dinner until around 7:00 p.m., with a two-hour interruption for the lunch break.
He can earn up to 2,500 rupees (7.70 euros) per day, or up to 170 euros in a month, more than the average monthly salary of 120 euros.
The work, six days a week, is done in all weathers. You have to brave the extreme and humid heat as well as the torrential rains brought by the monsoon.
Preference for flowers
It all starts with the angler choosing a design. A master craftsman draws a model that will guide the construction workers.
The carpenters are responsible for choosing the wood, for example local eucalyptus or African teak known for its resistance to seawater.
First cut with an electric saw, the blocks are then worked by hand.
Board by board, nail by nail, the hulls take shape.
It sometimes takes up to three months to build a small boat a few meters long, and the customer will have to pay a little more than a million rupees (around 3,000 euros), explains Muhammad Asif.
Once the hull is completed, the painter Muhammad Ismaïl comes into play. Delicately, he draws colorful flowers and arabesques on the sanded wood.
“Most of our fishermen here prefer floral patterns rather than fish designs,” remarks this 38-year-old man, with almost ten years of experience.
“Some ask me to create according to my imagination, others tell me exactly what they want,” continues the man who feels “immense satisfaction” when his customers appreciate his creations.
In a nearby port, Qadir Bux, a fisherman, repairs his nets in a small wooden boat, owned by his family for more than 20 years. He hopes to soon offer it a refresher course with the craftsmen of Ibrahim Hyderi: this boat, "we pay attention to it like a very precious object, almost as if it were our child".
© 2026 AFP
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