The government of Pakistan has decided to allocate PKR 13.7 billion (USD 87 million, EUR 79.2 million) for three aquaculture development projects to boost the country’s fisheries production, The Nation reported on 9 October.

Pakistan’s government, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Food Programme, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation have identified different areas in the coastal province of Balochistan and the mountainous province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the projects.

The three projects on shrimp farming, trout farming, and catch culture will be implemented in coastal and freshwater sites, Federal Secretary Hashim Popalzai said.

These projects are part of the PKR 309 billion (USD 1.96 billion, EUR 1.79 billion) agriculture emergency program recently launched by the government. The Asian Development Bank has expressed interest in assisting the government initiatives for aquaculture development, he said.

Hashim told a national symposium organized by FAO recently that Pakistan’s fisheries sector has huge potential, but it was neglected by previous governments, according to the article.

Pakistan is endowed with fisheries and aquatic resources that have significant potential to make a bigger contribution to economic growth and social development, said FAO Pakistan Representative Mina Dowlatchahi.