QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has said that his government will pay special attention to the fisheries sector.

Presiding over a meeting held to review the performance of fisheries and other departments on Friday, the chief minister said that revenue from the fisheries sector could be increased by modernising the department concerned.

He ordered review of the Fishermen Cooperative Society for the welfare of the community and said a plan be prepared for recruitment of life guards and sea ambulances.

Briefing the meeting, the fisheries secretary said four landing jetties had been proposed for provincial coastal areas in the next Public Sector Development Programme, while the VHF (Very High Frequency) system would be installed in 1,000 boats for better tracking of fishermen at the seas.

He said the VHF system would be helpful in timely rescue of stranded fishermen and it would also be beneficial to prevent illegal fishing through trawlers on the provincial coastal strip.

Chief Secretary Dr Akhtar Nazeer, the additional chief secretary for planning and development, senior member of the Board of Revenue, home and finance secretaries and other government officials attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2019