The government is paying special attention to boost the fisheries sector in the country so that enhanced fish protein may be made available to the masses. The federal government recently constituted a Task Force on Fisheries to review the current status and suggest measures for enhanced production and export. For this purpose, work groups have been set up on inland as well as marine fisheries.

Punjab Director General (DG) Fisheries Dr Muhammad Ayub has been appointed as convenor for the work group on Inland Fisheries, while members include Directors Fisheries Sindh, NWFP, Balochistan, and AJK; Deputy Director Northern Area, progressive farmers (Sindh) Muhammad Alam and Khalid Memon, and trout farmer Abdur Rasheed (NWFP).

The first meeting of the work group was held in the office of the DG Dr Muhammad Ayub and detailed discussions were held to review the existing situation of inland fisheries aquaculture, government issues, investment plan, institutional framework, human resource development, and public - private partnership.

The meeting also identified constraints to growth and counter measures, slackness in the policy framework and the strategy to go ahead.

It was also decided the next meeting of Inland Fisheries work group will be held at Islamabad to finalise policy recommendations to be placed before the task force.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2005