Fisheries Department is taking all possible steps for promotion of aqua culture: DG Fisheries

Lahore: Director General Fisheries Dr. Muhammad Ayub has said that rapid increasing urban population and a lot of polluted water of factories and water pollution due to use of insecticide for agricultural purpose are badly affecting aqua culture. He said that the natural breeding places of fish due to construction of barrages on rivers and natural water courses and bunds on banks have almost been finished due to which the natural breeding is decreasing speedily.

He said this while addressing an inaugural function of releasing fish seed at Head Baloki, River Ravi. Officers of the department, representatives of media, fish farmers and a large number of people belonging to various sections of life attended the function.

Dr. Muhammad Ayub formally inaugurated the campaign by releasing about 10 thousand fish seed at Head Baloki River Ravi. He said that this function is the continuity of stocking programme of fish seed in natural waters got artificially from government production centers. He said that as a result of policies of promotion of fish, the annual production of fish in 2014-15 has become 92000 metric tons, number of licences issued is 36426 and the income has increased to 212.580 million rupees.

He said that Punjab government, in view of the performance of the department, has increased its development fund from 380 million rupees to 600 million rupees. Dr. Ayub informing about the ongoing schemes of the department said that information center and other offices of Fisheries Department have been set up in Lahore and the work on promotion of fish in brackish water of south Punjab and small dams in Potohar Region is continuing speedily.

He told that the project of aqua culture exports processing unit and development of human resources through research and training are being completed speedily and these projects will prove a harbinger in revolution in fisheries sector.

Director General Fisheries said that Fisheries Department is taking all possible steps for promotion of aqua culture. He said that the department is providing high quality 9 crore 30 lakh fish seed obtained from hatcheries and nurseries of the department is being provided at reasonable rates to fish farms set up in private sector.

He said that the department every year launches campaign of releasing fish seed in rivers, lakes and other waters under a coordinated programme so that the fish like Rahu, Mori, Thela, Sole, Singhari and National Fish Mahasheer could be saved and the increasing demand of fish meat could be met in the province. He said that fish fair is held every year for the facility of fish farmers and 20 fairs will be held during current year.