Amongst a series of project proposals for UNDP funding which were reviewed by FAO in 1990, there was one from the Department of Fisheries, Sindh Province, to establish a model hatchery to promote prawn/shrimp culture in the delta region. A project of 60 months' duration (1991–1995), with a budget of PRs 31.064 million (GOP) and PRs 1.5 million (UNDP), the proposal was given Priority II in a list of 16 projects. To date, no hatchery has been established but a marine shrimp and finfish hatchery is about to be constructed at Hawkes Bay, Karachi, to be operated by the MFD (GOP). It is pertinent to recall that the 1990 study had already identified the development of freshwater shrimp as the most feasible.
The current FAO TCP project consists of a feasibility study on the establishment of freshwater prawn hatcheries in Pakistan, especially in southern Sindh. The project document states that, “if it is found to be feasible and economically viable, the GOP would then follow-up by establishing a pilot hatchery for producing larvae and rearing them to juveniles, and setting up demonstration farms for the culture of juveniles to marketable prawns and finally extending the culture technologies to rural farmers, through the provision of soft loans and the setting up of the required infrastructure”. The project document further expressed the view that conditions in lower Sindh seemed favourable for the development of freshwater prawn farming. Broodstock of Macrobrachium malcolmsonii were said to be available and some preliminary laboratory studies on its rearing had been carried out in Pakistan. The project proposal stated that there was a good demand for freshwater prawns from the wild in Pakistan and that export potential was thought to be good.
FAO responded to the GOP request for the services of an international freshwater prawn consultant to carry out the feasibility study by providing funds under TCP/PAK/4559 for the consultancy, which commenced in November 1995. The results are presented in this report.
The Terms of Reference are given in Appendix 1. It was intended that the consultant would make two visits to Pakistan but due to a number of external problems, it did not prove expedient to undertake the second mission. The written work was therefore completed at FAO Headquarters in Rome during January 1996.
The consultant's itinerary is in Appendix 2. Appendix 3 contains a list of people met during the course of the mission, to whom the consultant expresses his gratitude. Particular thanks go to Muhammed Salim Akhtar Khan (GOS), Sheikh Shakil Ahmed (GOS), Waheed Ahmed (GOS) and Mohammed Moazzam Khan (MFD), who made special efforts to obtain essential data.
During the consultant's visit to Pakistan all necessary data was collected in spite of some difficulties caused by strikes and travel restrictions in force, and its analysis was commenced. A brief summary report of findings was prepared, which was used during debriefing sessions in the offices of the Government of Sindh province, the Government of Pakistan, and the FAO Representative in Pakistan.
The following report considers the feasibility of establishing freshwater prawn farming in lower Sindh province, followed by recommendations for the establishment of a small government hatchery, with grow-out ponds for demonstration and training purposes.
