January 23, 2007

Aquaculture industry expands 12 percent in Pakistan's Punjab

The annual growth rate of fish farming has increased 12 percent in Punjab and more than 32,700 acres of land in the private sector has been brought under fish culture over the past year, said the Director-General Fisheries Punjab, Dr Muhammad Ayub.

Dr Ayub also added that the area under fish farming is growing fast. The effective management and incentives offered by the fisheries department in Punjab and the resulting improvement in techniques has helped fish farming in the private sector increase manifold, he said.

The Fisheries ministry provides free advisory services, workshops and seminars to isseminate improved aquaculture methods at local levels, he said.  Dr Ayub said that using the marginal land of the province for aquaculture can solve the problem of protein demand and at the same time provide a source of income for poor farmers.  

Pakistan's seafood exports to the EU rose to US$200 million last year, despite hygiene issues from the EU and political problems at home. Fish and shrimp from Pakistan are also exported to the US, China and Sri Lanka.