By Minahil Makhdoom
ISLAMABAD: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in collaboration with Fisheries Development Board, Ministry of National Food Security & Research held a stakeholder consultation webinar for developing a national fisheries and aquaculture development policy and plan of action for 2020-2030.
Participants from Federal Ministries of National Food Security and Research, Maritime Affairs, fisheries departments of all provinces, technical experts from FAO, representatives of fisheries organization and experts from various NGOs and academia attended the webinar.
The “National Policy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Pakistan†aims at sustainable management and utilization of fisheries and aquaculture resources through creation of a conducive and enabling environment for equitable, economic and social development in the country. The policy will help to achieve the contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to achieve the sustainable development goals. There is a dire need to conduct a holistic sectoral analysis of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Pakistan to identify the investment gaps and constraints hindering development opportunities in the sector.
Emphasizing on the need of policy formulation, the Country Representative of FAO Pakistan, Ms Mina Dowlatchahi in her remarks stated that “The existing fisheries legislations need to conform to the international standards for sustainable management and utilization of fisheries resources. Increased investment in the sector can contribute significantly to create income-generating opportunities in fisheries and aquaculture. We need to establish an enabling environment and right policy and legal framework for investors. This will contribute to improving food security, nutrition, and poverty reduction in the country,†she said.
