Multan:After proving to be potential land for cash crops, South Punjab is also emerging as a future hub for fisheries with around 20 hatcheries already functioning in the region.
Like other parts of the main Punjab province, the South Punjab region is also known as food basket for the country producing huge quantity of food crops, fruits, vegetables, milk and meat.
Harnessing the fisheries potential besides other productions of human use, would not only help address the issue of food security but also save precious foreign exchange.
According to the Fisheries Department, out of 20 fish hatcheries operational in the region, seven are in public sector and 13 owned by private people. Fish farms are located at an area of 38,000 acres and over 2805 registered farmers were working to promote fish besides number of unregistered fish farmers.
“We have started seven different programs to promote fisheries and around 20,000 fish seed were released in river Indus near Taunsa Barrage,” informed Director General (DG) Fisheries South Punjab Dr Zahid Sharif.
“During previous years, we also released 664,000 fish seed into the river as we plan to continue it in future as well,” he stated. “Promoting this culture means better earning and good health as variety of nutrients in fish save human beings from multiple diseases.”
Besides this effort, the fisheries department is promoting fish cage clusters with 400 clusters already operational as farmers are being facilitated to install more fish cage clusters in different rivers.
“Fish cage culture is a modern concept of farming wherein cages are installed in freshwater,” Dr Zahid stated. Exactly 5000 cages are being installed across the Punjab province and the federal and provincial governments are providing subsidies on this project.”
He informed that under the Rs 1775 million project, the Federal and the Punjab governments are offering 60 and 40 percent shares respectively. “Around 300 cages have gone operational in South Punjab with 200 fish cages installed at Ghazi Ghat.”
Dr Zahid said 100 fish cages are operational at Mailsi Siphon and work on another 100 is in progress as 80 per cent expenditures on installation of these cages’ are provided by the government and the farmers share is just 20 percent.
He said three diagnostic laboratories have been established to facilitate the farmers while mobile vans of the Fisheries department also visit farms to analyze and address their issues.
He also mentioned to ‘Biofloc fish farming’ as a modern concept of high-density fish rearing. “This style of farming is more profitable and provides equal opportunities to both rich and poor farmers to earn money at extremely low operational cost.”
In Biofloc fish farming, the fish are nurtured in a water tank, made of turbulence sheet which is easily available in the market. Fish seeds are put into water tank and probiotics (a kind of bacteria) is also mixed in the water. Through this low cost method, the probiotic consumes ammonia and other material in the tank and convert it into feed.
“Actually, the principle of this technique is to recycle nutrients to be used as feed,” Dr Zahid said. “Biofloc helps in cleaning the water also providing fish an additional source of feed. It is a sustainable and eco-friendly process and helps save water.”
About the production, the DG Fisheries said the average production of fish in the region is 35 maund per acre and it is too low as our neighboring countries produce around 100 maund per acre.
He suggested that with the government spending Rs 54.650 million on promoting Biofloc fish farming, installation of solar systems at fish farms could benefit the farmers much more.
As the government is making concerted efforts to promote this sector, the progressive farmers associated to this sector desire lowering down the prices of inputs.
“Fish farming could be promoted on faster pace by lowering down prices of inputs and improving the marketing mechanism,” said Rao Hamayun, a progressive fish farmer, hailing from Muzaffargarh.
“Presently, the price of fish is nearly Rs 300/kg. When this rate is seen in comparison with the rearing cost, the profit margin is very low,” he said. “We desire a mechanism wherein we get inputs and electricity on affordable prices to and proper markets for selling our product.”
Dr Saeed ur Rehman, a fisheries expert pointed out to control mortality rate of fish seed dying due to unavailability of proper feed. “The government should also focus on this area.”
When asked about redressal of these issues, DG Fisheries Dr Zahid said the government is working on a plan to provide quality fresh fish to citizens and three special outlets are being developed in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur. “At these outlets, the citizens can buy the fresh fish or hunt it by themselves from the ponds. These outlets provide recreational activity as well as fresh fish.”
He said fish outlet in Bahawalpur is operational and work is in progress on two outlets Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan. The Multan outlet is being introduced at the Fisheries office.
Dr Zahid also informed about awareness campaigns started to educate people on rearing and usage of fish and so far 8497 people have attended 323 such lectures.