ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: The government on Friday unveiled the first ever National Fisheries Policy which envisages an annual increase of 53,000 tons in fisheries production besides boosting the export of sea food products.
“More than 80 per cent of the fish catch goes wasted or turns unfit for human consumption resulting into huge losses for the national kitty,” admitted the Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan while responding to a question.
Addressing a news conference here, the minister said that for reducing the wastage ratio at the catching level 11 new model fish and shrimp farms would be established at a cost of Rs2 billion to increase production. Of these farms three would be set up in Sindh and remaining in Balochistan under a four-year project.
He said that these farms would be constructed in collaboration with the private sector to promote fish farming. He said government would also offer incentives to the private sector for promotion of shrimp farming and aquaculture activities.
The minister ruled out the impression that the establishment of model farms would create any monopoly and derive small players out of the business. However, he was not clear whether his ministry had created any standards for protecting domestic consumers from any unhygienic products.
Asked about the sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) laws for ensuring quality of imported and domestic goods under the WTO, the minister said that it was already under process, however, he was not sure whether the law was ready for implementation or not.
Answering a question the minister claimed that the new policy would help increasing fisheries export from Rs20 million to Rs1 billion in near future. However, he said that the growth in export could only be materialised by reducing catch wastage ratio sharply.
Answering a question the minister said that the European Union (EU) regulation was not Pakistan specific but against 10 leading fish food exporters. He said that the ban would remain unchanged until the private sector met the EU standards.
Replying another query, he said that no licence had been issued to any foreign trawler for catching fish in the last three years.
Elaborating the salient features of the new policy, Mr Bosan said the policy aimed at increasing quality production for export and domestic consumption.
He said a fisheries development board would be established that would create enabling environment for private sector for establishment of shrimp farming and promoting aquaculture activities and assist fisheries organisations in development of the fisheries sector.
He added that fish cage-culture system in reservoirs and dams would be introduced besides introduction of total quality management system for export competitiveness.
He said the government would establish road network in the coastal areas to encourage fisheries production. “Roads, spanning eleven hundred kilometres would be constructed in the coastal areas to provide easy marketing facilities to the fishermen,” he added.It is estimated that 600,000 tons of fish produced every year in the country. Of these 400,000 tons come from marine catching while the remaining from inland water. ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: The government on Friday unveiled the first ever National Fisheries Policy which envisages an annual increase of 53,000 tons in fisheries production besides boosting the export of sea food products.
“More than 80 per cent of the fish catch goes wasted or turns unfit for human consumption resulting into huge losses for the national kitty,” admitted the Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan while responding to a question.
Addressing a news conference here, the minister said that for reducing the wastage ratio at the catching level 11 new model fish and shrimp farms would be established at a cost of Rs2 billion to increase production. Of these farms three would be set up in Sindh and remaining in Balochistan under a four-year project.
He said that these farms would be constructed in collaboration with the private sector to promote fish farming. He said government would also offer incentives to the private sector for promotion of shrimp farming and aquaculture activities.
The minister ruled out the impression that the establishment of model farms would create any monopoly and derive small players out of the business. However, he was not clear whether his ministry had created any standards for protecting domestic consumers from any unhygienic products.
Asked about the sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) laws for ensuring quality of imported and domestic goods under the WTO, the minister said that it was already under process, however, he was not sure whether the law was ready for implementation or not.
Answering a question the minister claimed that the new policy would help increasing fisheries export from Rs20 million to Rs1 billion in near future. However, he said that the growth in export could only be materialised by reducing catch wastage ratio sharply.
Answering a question the minister said that the European Union (EU) regulation was not Pakistan specific but against 10 leading fish food exporters. He said that the ban would remain unchanged until the private sector met the EU standards.
Replying another query, he said that no licence had been issued to any foreign trawler for catching fish in the last three years.
Elaborating the salient features of the new policy, Mr Bosan said the policy aimed at increasing quality production for export and domestic consumption.
He said a fisheries development board would be established that would create enabling environment for private sector for establishment of shrimp farming and promoting aquaculture activities and assist fisheries organisations in development of the fisheries sector.
He added that fish cage-culture system in reservoirs and dams would be introduced besides introduction of total quality management system for export competitiveness.
He said the government would establish road network in the coastal areas to encourage fisheries production. “Roads, spanning eleven hundred kilometres would be constructed in the coastal areas to provide easy marketing facilities to the fishermen,” he added.It is estimated that 600,000 tons of fish produced every year in the country. Of these 400,000 tons come from marine catching while the remaining from inland water.
