May 15, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 12, 1424

KARACHI, May 14: The Sindh government will request the federal government to hand over the control of Korangi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) to the provincial government in order to bring it in line with the activities of the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA).

This was stated by Sindh Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Sardar Manzoor Ali Khan Panhwar in a meeting with the members of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Wednesday.

He said the Sindh government, with the help of the private sector, was willing to revitalise harbour’s economic potential which remained untapped owing to lack of fish processing plants, boat building and other facilities.

On low landing of fish at harbour, he attributed the decline to rising deep sea fishing activities as foreign trawlers virtually sweeps the sea by catching top quality fish and throw the average quality into the sea, thus affecting the livelihood of fishermen. He said that the Sindh government has already taken up this issue with the government as the case falls under the purview of the federal government.

The Sindh government, he said, has also enacted a law under which fishermen would be bound to net fish through “prescribed nets” instead of traditional nets, which are being used in breeding season of fish and shrimps. A fine of Rs100,000 would be imposed with three years imprisonment if fishermen are found using various nets.

He noted that a sizable number of calves, arriving from interior Sindh, are being slaughtered daily at various slaughter houses in Karachi. The government would move a bill in the provincial assembly for making a law, aimed at prohibiting these activities besides sending persons to jail who are found slaughtering small animals.

Panhwar invited local businessmen to invest in dairy farming, fish farming and milk production in interior Sindh in order to control the unemployment in Sindh as the rate of suicides is rising in the province owing to joblessness.

Director General, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Baz Mohammad Junejo said that around 20,000 calves were being slaughtered daily in Karachi. A total of 10,000 animals (cow, goat, sheep, bull) were being slaughtered daily in the city.

He said Pakistan was not using its full potential in earning foreign exchange through exports of live animals and its meat owing to lack of planning, mechanical slaughtering, meat processing and livestock farming.

He urged the local businessmen to invest in livestock farming and set up meat processing facilities on the pattern of China.

Senior Vice President, KCCI, Mohammad Salim Kapadia said livestock accounts for about 9.4 per cent of the GDP and has a 38.4pc share in economy and provides 25-30pc of the income to the rural population. It is a net foreign exchange earning and 10pc exports of the country are derived from the livestock.