|
Main Page
|
 |
|
News Channel |
|
Project to promote fishing sport
LAHORE, April 13: The Punjab Fisheries Department
will launch a Rs15 million project to provide
angling facilities at Head Baloki, Taunsa, Trimmu
and Head Marala from this year.
Talking to Dawn on Monday, fisheries department
director-general Dr Muhammad Ayub said the four
spots would be developed to promote the fishing
sport. He said fishing rods, boats and
life-jackets would be provided to anglers, besides
accommodation, on the premises. The department
would also issue licenses in this regard, he
added.
Polluted river water and drought have discouraged
this sport immensely. In Lahore, angling
activities used to take place at Chuhng, Shahpur,
Sundar, Head Baloki and the Ravi.
The polluted water of rivers, drains and water
tributaries is also causing diseases to the people
of the adjoining areas. The industries in Lahore,
Faisalabad and Sialkot reportedly contribute a
major load of pollution towards water bodies as
well.
To reduce the mortality rate of fish seed from 50
per cent to 10 per cent, Dr Ayub said the
department would launch an indoor rearing of fish
at a cost of Rs10 million this year.
This facility would be developed in the
department's hatcheries in Lahore, Rawalpindi,
Gujranwala, Mian Channu, Bahawalpur, Attock,
Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Khanewal, Hasilpur,
Muzaffargarh and Toba Tek Singh.
Meanwhile, the department has launched a
three-year project to protect threatened
carnivorous fish species - channa marulis (Sol)
and aorichthys aor (Singhari) at a cost of Rs13
million.
Sol and Singhari are said to be the most
endangered species, as their stocks are alarmingly
depleting in the natural waters. The fish were
found in abundance in the Punjab, Sindh and the
NWFP in the past. But pollution, over-catching and
depletion in the natural breeding grounds has
caused irreparable damage to their production.
The department DG said pond complex facilities and
its allied amenities for breeding and rearing of
these species were being created to protect the
species. He said the implementation of the project
would not only help tackle the problems of
biodiversity in the natural resources, but also
help introduce commercial aquiculture practices to
attain sustainable fish production.
The DAWN
|
|
|
|
|
Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
|
|
