After beef, mutton and chicken fresh water fish is also not available for the consumption of general public while extremely unhygienic Vietnamese and Korean white fish is available in the country and high quality local sweet water fish is illegally exported. This was revealed at the National Assembly Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping meeting with Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah in the chair here Thursday.
"The country is facing billions of rupees losses in fish exports, as Pakistani origin fish is being illegally exported," said MNA Rana Mohammad Hayat Khan, adding that no action has so far been taken against the culprits involved in the business. Khan further said white fish breeding takes place in Korea and Vietnam and is considered to be extremely dangerous for health, but it is being served in Pakistan while local origin fish is not available in markets.
The committee chairman also expressed serious concerns over the issue and recommended to the concerned authorities to immediately take action in this regard. The committee took notice of the deteriorating condition of fisheries and asked the ministry to take up the issue with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research He also expressed annoyance that a report in this regard was sought; however the parliamentary panel is yet to be apprised in this regard.
Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Kamran Michael said that the matter is being raised with the provincial government. The deteriorating condition of one of the premier institutions of Pakistan, the Pakistan Marine Academy (PMA) was discussed by the legislators in the meeting. The paucity of funds was the main reason of the deteriorating condition and it was heartening to be informed that with the change of the Commandant of PMA and the commitment of present government of releasing the funds, the conditions have started improving and the committee was assured that the change would be visible in a couple of months.
Commandant Pakistan Marine Academy (PMA) Commodore Akbar Naqi briefing the committee over issues regarding the Academy said that there were security threats; however measures have been taken to make the security foolproof. He said all the encroached land of the Academy has so far been retrieved. The PWD had made no maintenance work for last 20 years which made the building vulnerable. However work would be started soon for the renovation of the Academy. He further said that new courses are being introduced and like the past students from abroad would be invited to the Academy soon. He said that first ever Cadet College would be set up in Karachi soon. The minister said Rs 50 million of the Rs 128 million would be released soon to the Academy. The committee expressed annoyance over the negligence of PWD and directed to brief the committee in this regard in the next meeting.
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