Fish culture in paddy crop fields aimed: non-availability of funds delays Rs 24.615 million project

A Rs 24.615 million project aimed at introducing fish culture in paddy crop fields in the province could not so far start because the government has yet to release funds, sources in Fisheries Department said on Tuesday. Although the government has approved the important project, which has to complete in three years from 2010 to 2013, the non-release of funds have delayed its implementation, they said, adding "The project was approved during the current fiscal year 2010-11".
The project will be for three yeas from 2010 to 2013, officials said, adding the government had decided to take multiple yields of fish and crops from a single piece of land. "The project is also aimed at maximising the use of wasteland and agriculture land by diversification," the fisheries department officials said, adding the project was helped to improve the socio-economic conditions of the agriculture community by earning additional income from secondary crop of fish.
The project will be implemented in all rice producing districts of the province, including Kashmore, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Larkana, Qambar Shahdadkot, Dadu, Badin and Thatta, they added. The other project of Rs 59.890 million to establish a crap fish hatchery in Deh Bakhoro of Sanghar district is under way, the officials said, adding the Sindh Works and Services Department was construing it.
They said the project had been approved for years 2006-2010-11 and was aimed at producing 10 million fish hatchlings in the province. "This hatchery will produce fish seed of local varieties, including Rohu, Thaila, Morakhi besides Chinese verity of fish," they said.
They said there were about 70 private fish farms in Sanghar district alone and producing high quality of fish, adding the under construction hatchery would increase the fish farming activities and boost the farming sector's productivity. With construction of the hatchery, the government would ensure the transfer of hatchery technology to the local farmers in the province. About fish stocks decline in Karachi waters, they said the gigantic fleet of over 2000 fishing boats were behind the persistent decline in seafood stocks in the country's territorial waters of the Arabian Sea, they said.
They said the persistent logging of mangroves, which are grown on coasts, had also impacted on the growth of shrimp, as these crustacean nurtured there. The other main reason, officials said was pollution coming into sea from industries endangering the marine life.