Report of Technical Review Mission
Project - Fisheries Development in AJK
PAK/94/005
Prepared by
P.C. Choudhury
Regional Aquaculture Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and Pacific
Bangkok, Thailand
CONCLUSIONS:
1. Warm water fish culture has good potential AJK, especially in Mirpur District which has abundant water suitable land warmer climate and entrepreneur farmers.
2. The biggest constrain to the development of fish culture is the lack of fish seed (fingerlings).
3. The project is behind schedule by 9-12 months. This is mainly due to the facts that (a) the project activities did not start until the arrival of the aquaculturist consultant in February, 1996: and (b) the delay in land acquisition for hatchery construction.
4. This phase, until the hatchery at Chikar is completed, should be regarded as the preparatory phase, during which the physical facilities are being built and other preparatory activities are being carried out.
5. The project has design faults as explained before. These faults should be corrected by revising the prodoc following the guidelines given under recommendations.
6. The delivery of government inputs has been slow especially in the provision of counterpart staff and in the establishment of fish seed production and distribution centres.
7. The counterpart institution, the Fishery Wing, is very small and staffed mainly with technical and support staff. The Fishery Wing should be strengthened by providing the services of professional staff so that it may carry out its functions effectively.
8 The culture technologies - semi-intensive polyculture and integrated fish - livestock-crop farming -being adapted by the project are appropriate for the socio-economic conditions of rural AJK.
9. The extension methodologies - Demonstration in farmer's pond training and pond visits - should be effective within the context of socio-economic life of rural AJK
