All fishing boats sailing from Karachi have been recalled in view of the high risk associated with rough seas and a potential tropical cyclone, but at least 70 fishing boats are still missing, maritime authorities and fishermen said on Thursday.

Officials are trying to contact fishermen on the missing boats and there was a strong possibility that a substantial number of them would have sought safe harbor in Balochistan ports.

Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency and the Fishermen Cooperative Society have set up a number of monitoring and rescue centers at Karachi Fisheries, Ibrahim Hyderi and Younusabad.

 The administrator of the Fishermen Cooperative Society, Zahid Bhatti, said that their first and foremost priority was to ensure the safe return of the fishermen at sea.

He said that Pakistan Navy was diligently monitoring the situation.

According to the manager of the cooperative society, Nasir Boneri, there were at least 165 Fishing Boats at sea when the weather started worsening. He said that the launches that had not been able to reach Karachi might have docked on jetties in Pasni, Ormara and elsewhere in Balochistan.

Warning of excessively high waves, he said that the conditions at sea were rapidly deteriorating.

All of the returning fishing boats are safely docked.