960425

Govt committed to

protect interests

of Fishermen

KARACHI: The Sindh Minister for Fisheries, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, has said that the government was committed to protect the interests of fishermen community in the province, and has urged upon the officers to take all possible steps to make it possible.

He was presiding over a meeting of senior officers of the department, held to review the performance of the department at his office here Thursday.

He said that dissemination of modern technology to the farmers who are interested in development and conservation of fisheries resources in the province must be given top priority so that object of increasing fish production is achieved.

The meeting discussed matters relating to the development and conservation of fisheries resources, transfer of technology by imparting technical training to fishermen, fish farmers and departmental staff, disposal of fishing rights on public water areas by way of auction and issuing of licences and recovery of government dues from the concerned.

The Minister was informed that the private sector and the people had started establishing private fish farms in the wake of extension services campaign launched by the department at district level, and as many as 1556 fish farms were established in 13 districts of the province by end of the last year.-APP