ISLAMABAD: The Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) has completed a fisheries infrastructure survey of the Indus Delta in Badin and Thatta Districts of Sindh.

At the request of the Sindh Government, the CSF assigned one of its fisheries experts, Robert Lindley to carry out a survey of coastal fisheries in Badin and Thatta. Lindley spent three weeks in the province and made extensive visits to sites in the two districts. The staff from the Sindh Fisheries Department accompanied him.

Lindley, with extensive experience in fisheries development, assessed the feasibility of constructing a model fish harbor in the delta region. He also focused on the other pressing needs for fisheries development and improvements in the quality of fish being produced in the area.

However, following the survey, it is advised specifically against any large-scale developments in the area. “Due to the high geophysical risk, unprecedented salutation problems requiring expensive dredging, declining fish catch volumes and continuing serious environmental degradation throughout coastal Badin and Thatta, the prospects for building and successfully operating any fish harbors large or small, anywhere in the delta, are quite bleak,” says the survey.

The survey recommends that investments in smaller scale infrastructure, such as fully equipped small fish landing sheds and floating pontoons are far less risky in the delta environment and are pretty beneficial to a large number of fishermen spread out over the whole delta area.

On the other hand, the survey suggests that Sindh Fisheries Department, already implementing fisheries development programs in Badin and Thatta Districts, should maintain the momentum of their existing programs by concentrating on this sort of input at selected fish landing sites, and make some simple modifications to the existing program.

The Sindh Fisheries Department also plans to provide other varied assistance to fishermen, for safety at sea, and to improve the quality of fish by maintaining the cool chain from ‘catch’ to consumer. The latter involves promoting the use of ice and insulated plastic containers, coupled with targeted training for fishermen to ensure the full benefits are realised. Reverse osmosis will be used to provide clean potable water at various strategic sites. The survey strongly supports this type of initiative, which will improve fishermen’s’ earnings and livelihoods.

CSF is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) established to reposition Pakistan’s economy on a more competitive global footing.

Pakistan has a fish and seafood industry that includes ancillary industries worth $1.2 billion but the industry is under threat from two sides. One is over-fishing, that threatens to reduce the resource base and hence the yields while the other is from poor quality control, which means that the value of the catch is not being maximized and much is going to waste.

The CSF has been assisting Pakistan’s fisheries sector since 2007 when in response to a request for action from an Inter-Provincial Consultative Committee (IPCC) meeting, the CSF intervened by deploying its fisheries expert to undertake a study on the fisheries of Pakistan.

In 2009 the CSF provided assistance to the Sindh Fisheries Department on a series of initiatives and programs. These included reviewing the master plan for the development of Karachi Fisheries Harbor, assisting with the development of a fisheries strategy for the province, and appraising several development project proposals.

CSF has also carried out a survey of fisheries in coastal Balochistan. The CSF fisheries specialist visited Quetta and coastal areas including the ports of Gwadar and Pasni. It was identified that stronger fisheries management would be beneficial so as to prevent

over-fishing and declining catches, fish quality control was important, and that there was potential for some aquaculture in the coastal belt.