Director General Fisheries Punjab, Dr Muhammad Ayub has said that 17 big hatcheries and more than 30 small nursery units of public sector are providing ninety million fish seeds to 9000 private fish farms of the province. Annual fish production of these private farms is 92000 metric tons, said the Director General while talking to media persons here on Friday.
He said that fish seeds being produced at the hatcheries of Fisheries Department are not only supplied to the private fish farmers but to Sindh, Balochistan and KPK provinces also. Dr Ayub said that due to limited water resources, Fisheries Department is also planning to adopt intensive culture system so that maximum fish production could be obtained from minimum water. He said that Fisheries Department provides information and instructions to the fish farmers about this method in the fish farming courses. He said that fish farmers by including more oxygen through artificial methods in the water in controlled temperature can get maximum production. DG Fisheries said that due to continuous efforts of Fisheries Department, a number of hatcheries came into existence in private sector which not only fulfil needs of fish meat but opportunities of employments have also been made available. He told that efforts are being made to establish export processing zone in South Punjab through public private partnership.
Dr Ayub said that in order to attract people to this profitable industry, a proposal is also under consideration for giving honorarium to the participants of courses of ornamental fish culture, aquarium making and prosperity through fish farming and in this regard approval is also being sought from the competent authorities. Hesaid that Fisheries Department is doing a lot for the development and promotion of fisheries sector under a comprehensive programme. He said that people who are getting training from Fisheries Department through different courses are not only getting knowledge about latest methods of fish culture but are also improving their economic conditions.