LAHORE:Fisheries Development Board (FDB) on Monday organized a two-day workshop
on “Draft national residue control plan and national strategy for aquatic animal health”
at a local hotel to discuss issues related to fish production, regulatory and institutional
mechanism and list of recommendations.
During the workshop, various departments shared ongoing development activities
and plans for the promotion of shrimp farming for export development.
Addressing the session, Shrimp Project Manager Maratab Ali Awan discussed the
possibility to enhance Pakistan’s fish export, especially from freshwater aquaculture
and said the outcome of workshop would show pathways to enhance fish export and
develop a comprehensive national residue control plan for the promotion fisheries
and aquaculture sector on a sustainable basis.
He said: “We understand that fisheries sector is crucial for food security, nutritional
requirements and livelihoods of many people in Pakistan especially of those living
along the coast of Pakistan”.
FDB CEO Muhammad Junaid Wattoo explained that Fisheries Development Board (FDB)
and Ministry of National Food Security & Research was implementing three mega projects
of Rs 14.9 billion under Prime Minister Agriculture Emergency Programme, adding that
investment of Rs 13.702 billion at one time was a largest investment made by previous
government in the fisheries sector.
He said that these projects were aimed to promote aquaculture-based seafood production
to ensure local supplies and surplus for export from Pakistan and to harness the untapped
potential of fisheries natural resources to create livelihood opportunities and economic
uplift of fish farming communities.
He said that the public and private sector was investing in shrimp value chain so by the
year 2023, local shrimp feed and seed would be available and shrimp farming would be
initiated on commercial scale, he added. European Union had offered best prices for
farmed shrimp as compared to any other importing country, he maintained.
He said that another issue which needed to be focused on timely manner was aquatic
bio-security which could be broadly described as a strategic and integrated approach.
He said that some of the major constraints for maintaining aquatic animal health and
aquatic bio-security in Pakistan included the lack of specific policy, dedicated infrastructure,
capacity, legislation, enforcement, public awareness, and coordination between agencies.
Punjab Fisheries Director General Dr Sikander Hayyat said that in the era of globalization
the importance of aquaculture had further increased as the blue economy was an emerging
concept. He emphasized on the national residue control plan and appreciated the efforts
of Fisheries Development Board.
During the opening ceremony, Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Punjab Additional Secretary
Amna Munir said that shrimp and fish farming was a more sustainable use of natural water
resources for economic growth, improving livelihood and creating job opportunities.
She said that shrimp farming was one of the most profitable business which needed attention
for proper planning to boost up the fisheries based export. She also appreciated the efforts
of Fisheries Development Board, Ministry of National Food Security and Research for the
establishment of National residue control plan.
The workshop was attended by large number of participants from various field of life including
federal and provincial fisheries departments, university professors, students, EMC Pakistan
PVT, fish farmers, and others.