Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Organizes 3-day Training On Trout Farming

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) in collaboration with Gansu Fisheries Research Institute (GFRI), China has organized a three-day training course on "Cold Water Fisheries (Trout Farming) to promote aquaculture farming across the potential areas of the country

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Sep, 2019 ) :Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) in collaboration with Gansu Fisheries Research Institute (GFRI), China has organized a three-day training course on "Cold Water Fisheries (Trout Farming) to promote aquaculture farming across the potential areas of the country.

The other objective of the training course was to facilitate potential investors in trout fish farming business by providing them with a general understanding of the business and cold water fisheries research and development in the country.

The initiative was taken under the Belt and Road Initiative of Chinese government, the Gansu province of China.

Addressing opening ceremony of the training course, Muhammad Ayub Chaudry, Chairman of the PARC said this training course has provided an opportunity for the scientists, industry and farmers to interact and learn latest techniques in cold water and trout fisheries.

He further said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, AJK and Gilgit Baltistan are the major cold water fish potential areas of Pakistan, adding that these areas posses a rich variety of freshwater habitats, including major rivers and numerous streams and lakes.

He said these fresh water resources offer significant opportunities for the development of inland fisheries and aquaculture, adding the PARC has decided to establish a cold water fish laboratory at its research station namely Mountain Agriculture Research Centre (MARC) Juglote, Gilgit with the technical cooperation of GFRI, China.

The laboratory would help to produce seed of new cold water fish species and to multiply them in Gilgit Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and AJK after necessary initial research and in order to transform these opportunities into economic gains and maximize the livelihood of the northern areas training of farmers and industry is key component, he added.

The chairman also expressed that a delegation of GFRI and Lanzhou University has also visited Trout Research Station of MARC Gilgit and investigated water resources in various districts of GB and declared the water bodies highly suitable for cold water fisheries having huge potential for cold water fish production.

Speaking on the occasion, Yu Yongbiao, Researcher, Gansu Fisheries Research Institute said that cold water fisheries especially trout farming is an area with immense potential for the poverty reduction and providing livelihoods to the population of northern areas.

Developing this section of fisheries can also enhance the food security of malnourished communities as fish is an important source of protein. Chinese Researcher ensured the support of China for development and research of cold water fisheries sector in Pakistan.