Proactive involvement of private sector, high fish production and soft loans to the farmers has made fish farming a profitable industry in the province. This was stated by Director General Fisheries Punjab Dr Muhammad Ayub while addressing a departmental meeting at Fisheries Research and Training Institute (FRTI).
He observed that due to aquatic pollution, fish production had diminished to a large extent in natural water of the province, however, this shortfall could be bridged through fish farming. Dr Ayub further said that untreated toxic effluents of factories and industrial units thrown into the rivers and canals were hampering fish production in natural waters.
He said besides 14 hatcheries being operated by the Department, 29 nursery units were supplying fish seed to the farmers. More than 70 hatcheries were also functioning in the private sector, he concluded.