THE PRODUCTS OF THE SEA AND THEIR EXPLOITATION 

 AND UTILIZATION IN PAKISTAN 



By M. R. Khan 



Central Fisheries Department 

 Government of Pakistan, Karachi, PaJcistan 



A comprehensive study of the Sea as a store-house of immense 

 mineral, vegetable, and animal wealth is beyond the scope of the pre- 

 sent paper. Only those products of the sea which are important from 

 the fisheries point of view and which occur in the waters off the coast 

 of Pakistan will be considered. 



The demand for protein food in Pakistan is far in excess of the 

 present supply. Availability of grazing grounds and fodder imposes 

 limitations on the increased production of livestock in the country. 

 Faced with the problem of short protein food supply, Pakistan has 

 turned particular attention to her aquatic protein food resources. 



Fish has a pronounced dietetic importance in Pakistan. During 

 1952 consumption of fish in Pakistan stood at 295.2 million pounds, 

 of which 242.8 million pounds were consumed in East Pakistan. Rice 

 and fish constitute the staple food of the population in East Pakistan 

 and no less than 90% of the people consume fish as a regular item of 

 diet. In West Pakistan consumption of fish is low except along the 

 coast and the riverine tracts. Annual per capita consumption of fish 

 in Pakistan has been estimated at 6.4 pounds. In East Pakistan in 

 certain localities where the supply is plentiful the per annual capita 

 consumption may be quite high. 



Economically the importance of fishery to Pakistan is considerable. 

 It is estimated that there are over 200,000 fishermen families in the 

 country and as many as 800,000 subsist by fishing. In East Pakistan 

 alone there are 160,000 fishermen famiHes and over 650,000 make a 

 living out of fishing. These figures include fishermen engaged in fresh 

 water fisheries. Furthermore, the economy of Pakistan is basically 

 agrarian. It is desirable that the country's agriculture be supplemented 

 by a well-organized fisheries industry. 



The Resources 



Pakistan has a total of 700 miles of coast line, 500 miles in West 

 Pakistan and 200 miles in East Pakistan. The coast of West Pakistan 

 is bounded by 23°-40'N to 25°-30'N latitudes and 61°-40'E to 68°-10'E 



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