The Punjab government has allocated a special fund of Rs 650 million to provide soft-term loans to the farmers intending to establish their fish farms.
Punjab Secretary for fisheries, Forestry and Wildlife Major Javaid Majeed (Retd) stated this while addressing the participants of the special ceremony held at Head Marala near here.
He said the government had also evolved a comprehensive strategy for modernising the fisheries sector, besides, spending more than Rs 120 million on as many as 11 main fisheries development schemes in the province.
He said that as many as 65,000 metric tons fish production was being produced annually in Punjab, adding the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) was providing the low-cost staff to the willing fishermen for enabling them to grow up the sector.
He said that fisheries department also planned to conduct a special scientific research for enhancing the maximum production of the Maha Shir fish for export purposes, as the Malaysia was showing keen interest in importing this breed. He said the government would soon start the exports of Maha Shir fish from Pakistan to the other countries.
Punjab Fisheries Department Director General Dr Muhammad Ayub and Directors of fisheries department Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf, Chaudhry Qasim Ali, Akhtar Ali Shah and Tariq Hashmi were also present on this occasion.