Aquaculture for all

Rs2bn aquaculture, shrimp farming project planned in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - In a bid to achieve the goal of food security and poverty alleviation in the country, the government has planned to initiate a mega project of aquaculture and shrimp farming worth Rs2.074 billion across the country. The project would be initiated in all the federating units, AJK, Northern Areas with headquarters at Karachi and sub-office at Islamabad, a senior government official told The News.

Under the project, four new hatcheries would be established apart from renovating four existing hatcheries, setting up of 11 model shrimp farms (3 in Sindh and 8 in Balochistan), 6 model markets (2 in Punjab, 2 in Sindh and 1 in Balochistan and 1 in NWFP), cage culture at five sites along with construction of office accommodation of fisheries marine section in Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock at Islamabad.

“The required land would be provided by the provincial governments for hatcheries, model fish farms and model fish markets. However, land for office building of Fisheries Management Section is available at National Agriculture Research Council,” the official said. The project also envisages promotion of shrimp farming on 2000 hectares of coastal land in Sindh and Balochistan.

Provincial governments will provide land for shrimp farming on lease to the private sector. The project would be implemented over a period of five years. The official said that project has been recommended by CDWP’s last meeting to ECNEC for approval.

He said that the project would not only help improve socio-economic uplift of fisher folk, but also enhance domestic production of fish and shrimp.

Source: The International News

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