Employment opportunities could be generated by promoting fish farming:Dr Ayub

Lahore: Director General Fisheries Dr. Muhammad Ayub has said that by motivating the people of rural areas towards fish farming,employment opportunities and their income could be enhanced. Less fertile and less quality land can also be used for aquaculture.

He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of zoology students of various universities, in his office, here today.

Dr. Ayub said that people engaged in agriculture, livestock, poultry and other related fields could easily manage fish farming and increase their income as well as contribute to national economy. He said that Fisheries Department is encouraging youth of rural areas towards aquaculture.

Dr. Muhammad Ayub told that a healthy and balanced diet is of vital importance and fish is a part of the diet of nearly 4.3 billion people of the world. He said that fish is good source of protein, vitamin,
mineral and Omega-III acids and by including fish in our diet, we could protect ourselves against memory loss, arthritis, heart disease, colon cancer and paralysis etc. He said that fish improves immune system of our body and is useful in the production of hormones. He said worldwide average
fish consumption is 19.2 kg per capita annually.

Director General Fisheries said that in Pakistan,aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector, with an average annual growth rate of 10 percent. He said that at present about 14
varieties of fish are being bred commercially in the country and out of these 12 varieties of fish are of fresh waters and two of cold waters and research and experiments are being carried out on high value and high priced varieties. He said that Pakistan is one of the countries with the lowest fish consumption which is only 2.2 kg per capita annually .This situation provides opportunities to invest in aquaculture and fish farming. He said that Punjab Fisheries Department is trying its best to increase
production of fish through better management and conservation of fish so that people could be provided high quality animal protein.