Punjab ups wildlife budget for coming fiscal year

Almost 9% increase to conserve, protect, manage and sustain diversified species

LAHORE: The Punjab government has allocated Rs800 million in FY2017-18 to conserve, protect, manage and sustain diversified wildlife species and habitat through in situ and ex situ conservation measures.

The 2017-18 budget for the Wildlife Department saw an increase of 8.84% compared to the Rs735 million announced last year.

A significant part of the budget, Rs636 million, will go into sustaining ongoing schemes, while 164 million has been set aside for six new schemes.

According to the budget documents, the objectives of the schemes were defined as engaging community-based organisations (CBOs) for wildlife conservation and sport hunting. The government also hopes to help or regulate private wildlife breeding farms and game reserves, establish wildlife parks, breeding centres and zoos for ex-situ conversation and public recreation.

The wildlife department defined their millennium development goals. It planned to have the environmentally protected area of Pakistan increased from 11% to 12% of total land to ensure a conducive breeding environment from black to grey partridges.



Six new schemes which were provided for in the budget include the improvement and development of Chasma Barrage Wetland Biodiversity through an allocation of Rs20 million. An identical amount has been allotted for the Punjab Vulture Restoration and Conservation project.

To establish a chinkara and black buck breeding centre at Lal Suhanra National Park, an approximate budget of Rs35 million has been set aside.

At the same time, Rs41 million will go towards upgrading and improving the Bahawalpur zoo. Similarly, Rs21 million was earmarked for the improvement and rehabilitation of the wildlife park at Rahim Yaar Khan.  In addition, a budget of Rs25 million will go towards establishing a zoo in Sargodha District.

According to the documents, about 17% of the total land area in Punjab has been notified as protected.

Fisheries

Meanwhile, a budget of Rs850 million Rupees was announced for the Fisheries Department with the objective to develop aquatic resources in public and private sectors to meet the protein requirement of the growing population.

2017-18 allocation saw an increase of around 12% as compared to Rs755 million last year.

As per the details given in the budget documents, Rs667 million will go towards nine ongoing schemes. A total of Rs183 million rupees, or 27%, is dedicated to five new schemes.

The new schemes include a study on the economic analysis on cage fish culture in the Potohar region. There will be a biodiversity hatchery at Trimmu Head for the sustainability of riverine fishery resources and Rs38 million has been earmarked for this purpose.

Rs50 million have been set aside for the establishment of the Tilapa Research Centre at the Fisheries Research and Training Institute in Lahore. At the same time, Rs30 million was dedicated for tilapa fish seed hatchery and shrimp culture farms in Muzzarfargarh. Finally, Rs5 million will go into setting up an aquaculture export processing zone in Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi khan and Rajanpur.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2017.