LAHORE, Sept 15: Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) Chairman Dr Manzoor Husain Soomro has suggested setting up of a global biodiversity network for the conservation of livestock, wildlife and plants of Pakistan for the generations to come.

He was speaking at the concluding session of a two-day international conference on “Latest techniques for conservation of animal genetic resource in Pakistan” organised by the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences’ Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology in collaboration with the Pakistan Wildlife Foundation and the Higher Education Commission here on Thursday.

Dr Soomro stressed that higher education institutions needed to pool resources and work in complimentary mode instead of indulging in not so productive competition.

“If higher education institutions will not work in close collaboration, their students will continue to face constraints in doing research on specialized latest equipment owned by different institutions,” he said.

The population, he said, was increasing rapidly but on the other hand natural resources were depleting endangering ecosystem and rare species of animals and plants.

Punjab Wildlife Department Director-General Nasrullah Khan said the university should launch full-fledged courses in wildlife adding that there was a dearth of experts in the field.

As the wildlife department recruited UVAS graduates, he said the wildlife department would be ready to offer its facilities for students to conduct research.

UVAS Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Nawaz said the university was able to characterize the local breed and got them patent at the international level.

He said the university was working on inter-disciplinary programmes and introduced new undergraduate and postgraduate programme to fulfill the need of Pakistan’s professional institutions.

He stressed that creating balance in ecosystem would be fruitful not only for the conservation of the domestic breed but also to improve the national economy.

Prof Nawaz said the university budget was Rs430 million but on the other hand, the university faculty had won competitive grants worth Rs572 million.

He said the university was the unique and pioneer institution to offer undergraduate PhD degree fisheries and wildlife across the country.

Later, the IBB signed two MoUs with the Punjab wildlife department and the Lahore Zoo regarding the preservation of wild animals.