LAHORE, April 12: The Punjab Fisheries Department will launch a Rs15 million project to provide angling facilities at Head Baloki, Taunsa, Trimmu and Head Marala from this year.

Talking to Dawn on Monday, fisheries department director-general Dr Muhammad Ayub said the four spots would be developed to promote the fishing sport. He said fishing rods, boats and life-jackets would be provided to anglers, besides accommodation, on the premises. The department would also issue licenses in this regard, he added.

Polluted river water and drought have discouraged this sport immensely. In Lahore, angling activities used to take place at Chuhng, Shahpur, Sundar, Head Baloki and the Ravi.

The polluted water of rivers, drains and water tributaries is also causing diseases to the people of the adjoining areas. The industries in Lahore, Faisalabad and Sialkot reportedly contribute a major load of pollution towards water bodies as well.

To reduce the mortality rate of fish seed from 50 per cent to 10 per cent, Dr Ayub said the department would launch an indoor rearing of fish at a cost of Rs10 million this year.

This facility would be developed in the department's hatcheries in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Mian Channu, Bahawalpur, Attock, Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Khanewal, Hasilpur, Muzaffargarh and Toba Tek Singh.

Meanwhile, the department has launched a three-year project to protect threatened carnivorous fish species - channa marulis (Sol) and aorichthys aor (Singhari) at a cost of Rs13 million.

Sol and Singhari are said to be the most endangered species, as their stocks are alarmingly depleting in the natural waters. The fish were found in abundance in the Punjab, Sindh and the NWFP in the past. But pollution, over-catching and depletion in the natural breeding grounds has caused irreparable damage to their production.

The department DG said pond complex facilities and its allied amenities for breeding and rearing of these species were being created to protect the species. He said the implementation of the project would not only help tackle the problems of biodiversity in the natural resources, but also help introduce commercial aquiculture practices to attain sustainable fish production.