PAKISTAN: inauguration of new shrimp hatchery
Tuesday, July 10, 2001, 02:10
http://fis.com/fis/aquaculture/
Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Khair Muhammad Junejo,
says the government has plans to establish more hatcheries to boost fish
farming.
Junejo said at the recent opening of a shrimp hatchery near Karachi that the
government would encourage those fishermen who want to start private fish
farms to do so by providing land at cheaper rates to the private sector.
The newly inaugurated hatchery is spread over 6.6 acres and cost of 18.9
million Pakistani rupees (PKR) to build. The government expects the hatchery
to generate USD 3 million a year by producing more seeds, which would be
supplied to fish farmers to grow and export shrimp.
The new hatchery complex was set up by the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD)
and will focus on the scientific breeding of shrimp, although other species
such as crabs, sea bream and barramundi would also be produced.
MFD general director Syed Qamar Raza said nearly 300,000 seeds of the
different species would be produced in each crop, "which means we will
be able to produce at least 1.2 million seeds a year."
Raza said that the complex would be fully functional by the end of 2001.
The new hatchery is part of the federal government's fishery industry
development scheme