World Fisheries Day: ‘Protect fish today to ensure future supply’

UVAS hosts seminar on the importance of maintaining aquatic ecosystems.

LAHORE:

Fish populations should be protected to ensure that the supply of fish remains plentiful in the future, speakers said on Friday.

Speaking at a seminar on The importance of World Fisheries Day at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), they said the use of nets that injured the fish should be stopped. They said that there was a need to rapidly rebuild fish populations and restore the ecosystem. They also agreed that global warming and pollution were posing serious threats to the $90 billion fisheries industry and ecosystem.

The talk was organised by the UVAS Fisheries and Wildlife faculty in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission and British Council’s INSPIRE project.

UVAS Vice Chancellor Talat Naseer Pasha said about 25 per cent of the world’s dietary protein came from fish. “Fish is the cheapest source of white meat. It has around 65 to 80 per cent less fats than mutton and beef,” he said.

He said that one kg of fish feed could return 2.5 kg of fish meat while it required around 14kg of feed to produce one kg of beef and mutton. He said students should undertake learning activities and conduct research to protect fish species…and aid the aquatic ecosystem. Government College University VC Muhammad Khaleequr Rahman said the government was spending only 1.7 per cent of the GDP on education which was less than Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The seminar was also addressed by Prof Muhammad Akram, Prof Muhammad Ashraf, Fisheries Department Director Genral Muhammad Ashraf, British Council Director (Punjab) Richard Weyers and INSPIRE Project Link Coordinator Dr Muhammad Sharif Mughal.

Papers on Comparative Account of Nutritional Value in Different Meats’ Different Value- added Products of Fish and ‘Pollution Hazards on Fish and Fish Consumers were presented.

Earlier, a walk was also held on Fisheries and Wildlife Faculty premises. Stalls about the fishing industry were also set up.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2012.