World Aquaculture December 2019

WWW.WA S.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2019 63 consumption of fish stands at 1.9 kg/capita per year (Needham and Funge-Smith 2014). These facts can be attributed to the small contribution of this sector to the country’s GDP, low yields from the existing aquaculture sector and the low purchasing power of most of the country’s citizens. A number of initiatives are being undertaken by federal and provincial fisheries departments and the private sector. The present prime minister’s vision “to promote fisheries and ensure food security through availability of quality products at competitive prices” is opening new avenues for development of fisheries and aquaculture. Aquaculture in Pakistan is a fast-emerging sector, developed over the T he increasing shortage of water is an alarming situation for Pakistan, foreseeing the country on the verge of water scarcity. According to the IMF, annual water availability is 1,017 m 3 /capita, perilously close to the scarcity threshold of 1,000 m 3 /capita. Pakistan has the world’s fourth-highest rate of water use in agriculture, aquaculture and urbanization. Considering the high-risk water of scarcity predicted by 2040, it is important to adopt technologies that support water conservation in all fields, particularly agriculture and aquaculture. Production from the inland fisheries reached 185,000 t in 2017-2018 (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2018). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s food balance sheet, Pakistan’s IPRS – A Potential Game Changer in Pakistan’s Aquaculture Sector R.S.N. Janjua ( C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 6 4 ) There is good potential for tilapia farming in Pakistan.