KARACHI, Sept 25: Sindh government is implementing 10 different schemes, eight ongoing and two approved, at a total cost of Rs245.203 million to enhance fish production and curtail over-fishing in the territorial waters of the province.

This was stated by Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, who also holds the portfolio of fisheries, in response to a question asked by Ms Sharfunnisa Leghari during question hour in the Sindh Assembly on Monday.

Giving details of the scheme, Dr Arbab said the eight ongoing schemes and their estimated cost were: introduction of integrated fish farming (Rs27.538 million); Improvement and restoration of lake ecosystem and control eutrophication and vegetation in Keenjhar Lake (Rs28.444 million); marine fisheries surveillance in coastal areas of Sindh (Rs16.447 million); pen culture demonstration in coastal creeks of back waters of Sindh (Rs8.5 million); low-cost feed development for brackish and marine fish culture (Rs19.999 million); aquaculture development in coastal areas (Rs29.655 million), shrimp breeding in coastal areas of Thatta and Badin (Rs19.2 million); and establishment of carp fish hatchery at Sanghar (Rs28.623 million).

The two approved schemes are: establishment of prawn hatchery, disease diagnostic centre and research unit at Chilia, Thatta (Rs39.977 million) and establishment of modern technology for the welfare of fishermen community of Keenjhar Lake (Rs27.18 million).

Answering the supplementary questions on behalf of the chief minister, Sardar Manzoor Panhwar said that surveillance was being done to ensure that banned nets were not used in fishing. Not only such nets were being confiscated, but penalty was also being imposed on their users, he added.

For the two approved schemes, the provincial government has sought federal funding and once the same is released, work would be started on these schemes.

In his reply, the chief minister quoted four other schemes which are non-ADP and federal funded schemes.

These schemes and their cost are: fishermen’s vocational training and skill development (Rs46.335 million); development of aquaculture (Rs50 million); community fish pond development project (Rs59.450 million); and aquaculture and shrimp farming (Rs100 million).

In reply to a question asked by opposition leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, the chief minister informed the house that during the fiscal 2004-05, the income of Karachi Fisheries stood at Rs41.929 million and expenditure at Rs41.213 million, showing a saving of Rs0.715 million.

To a question asked by Ms Humera Alwani, Planning and Development Minister Shoaib Bukhari said that on the recommendation of an MPA from Sanghar district, the district government had approved 44 schemes costing Rs32.039 million from July 2004 to May 2005. He said the entire funds had been released by the provincial finance department.

To a supplementary question, Mr Bukhari said the present government was not allowing funds to lapse and, in many cases, he personally revalidated the lapsing funds.—APP