Syed NajmiAlam, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Fisheries and Livestock, has highlighted the significant gap between Sindh’s fishing industry and global standards. He noted that despite having a 12-nautical-mile fishing limit, the potential for fish farming in Sindh is underutilized. Speaking to a delegation of fishermen led by Member Sindh Assembly Asif Khan, Alam emphasized the importance of encouraging fish farming and assured comprehensive support for water testing and fish species selection.
ounced a new initiative, supported by the World Bank, where groups of ten people interested in fish farming can have 75% of their costs covered by the fisheries department. Additionally, land will be provided for 30 years from Karachi to Badin to boost exports. Previously, contracts were given out but were abolished at the fishermen’s request, which did not yield benefits. Alam suggested that if approved, the contract system might be reinstated.
He also proposed classifying fishermen as laborers to provide them with colonies, marriage funds, and health facilities, with registration to be completed within a month. Alam addressed the issue of Pakistani fishermen held in Indian custody, stating that efforts are underway to release them. He plans to install trackers in deep-sea vessels to prevent them from crossing into Indian waters.
He also highlighted that many jetties in Sindh are unregistered, with lists being prepared, including the floating jetty at Keti Bandar. The Chief Minister has allocated funds for regular jetties in next year’s budget. The health and education budgets have been increased, and remaining projects will be completed. Regarding cattle diseases, Alam stated that Karachi has the highest number of cattle colonies, where vaccination efforts are ongoing. Similar efforts will be extended to Hyderabad and other remote villages.
A proposal has been sent to the Chief Minister to provide 100 motorcycles to the Livestock Department to ensure vaccine delivery to remote areas. He plans to visit Turkey next month to acquire technology for producing vaccines locally, as foot and mouth disease currently hampers global meat acceptance. Animal hospitals with comprehensive facilities are being established in Hyderabad, ShaheedBenazirabad, Sukkur, Larkana.
