Director General Fisheries Punjab Ch. Muhammad Ashraf told APP on Wednesday that the special directive of Minister for Agriculture,Fisheries, Ahmad Ali Aulakh,special seed of various fast growing fish have been reared at Manawan Hatcheries under the supervision of a team of fisheries scientists headed by Director, Dr.Sikandr Hayat Jehangir.

He said the best quality fish seed of “Rahu”, “Mori”,”Thela” was selected out of 200,000 fish seed ,stocked in ponds, will be released for rapid growth in natural water.

He said that India has released water in Ravi and the lesser pollution level allows fish to survive and grow.

The DG said that drought,aquatic pollution and reduction of pond areas attached to barrages have been the most importants factor that caused reduction of fish in natural and artificial waters of the province.

Muhammad Ashraf said that a study is being conducted to arrest the ever increasing decline of fish in natural habitats to suggest viable measures to the government for the promotion of fisheries in private sector in order to meet protein needs of people from all walks of life.