The government has approved 16 schemes worth Rs 3514 million for fisheries sector, with an allocation of Rs 600 million during the current year, so as to meet European Union standards. Secretary Livestock and Fisheries Dr Siddique Memon said this at the inaugural ceremony of K-II Auction Hall at Fish Harbour Karachi, built at a cost of Rs 4.25 million.
Giving brief details of the projects, he said that 20,000 acres of land has been allocated for fish and shrimp farming in coastal areas of Badin and Thatta districts with a cost of Rs 2 billion, besides allocating Rs 334 million for project of chilling units and processing factories at Zero Point, Thatta, Kheejhar and Manchhar Lakes.
Dr Memon said that a project worth Rs 352 million for providing fishing gears to fishermen and another project costing Rs 50 million to train them are also approved besides okaying a fishermen census project at a cost of Rs 120 million.
Secretary said that over 500 model villages would be developed at Kheenjhar and Manchhar lakes, Hawksbay and Zero Point at a cost of Rs 37 million. He said that Rs 40 million would also be spent to develop a fish feed mill.
Managing Director Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) Shahid Gulzar Shaikh said that the ban on fisheries import by the EU has inflicted a loss of $40 million. He further said that the biggest objection of EU was on the shrimp filing complexes being in unhygienic environment at Machhar Colony, Karachi, which would be addressed by new shrimp filing complex at the KFH.
Sindh Chief Minister former Justice Abdul Qadir Halepota said that the ban imposed by the EU on Pakistan fish export had left negative impacts on the national economy. He said the Sindh government would bear 75 percent cost of insulated iceboxes while boat owners would have to pay 25 percent only, he said and hoped that the ban would be lifted soon.