KARACHI: Chairman Fishermen’s Cooperative Society Abdul Bar has said that Pakistan needs to improve its fishing industry and invest more in aquaculture.
While addressing a press conference at the fishery head office today, Abdul Bar said the government collects all the taxes on various exportable products, including aquatic products being exported from Sindh, but it does not allocate funds for development of the fisheries sector.
He said, “Pakistan can earn billions of dollars from fisheries, but this opportunity is being wasted due to lack of policies in fishery sectors”.
Abdul Bar further revealed that some Chinese ships were hunting in the waters of Karachi. “Even if they are given a license by the federal government, we will not allow them to work until they involve 70 percent of the local fishermen in ships, factories and other projects.
Chairman fishery said, “The agreements they have made will include training of local fishermen, two of our 162 factories are in line with EU standards”.
Pakistan needs to discover its untapped resources. “Pakistan is a maritime nation. This parallel economy will solve the issues of foreign debt, twin deficit, poverty, unemployment, low export and inflation.
Therefore, this is high time for the government and Ministry of Maritime Affairs to work on the Blue Economy” he added.
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