World Fisheries Day celebrated

ISLAMABAD, Nov 23 (APP): The Karot Hydropower Project in partnership with the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) celebrated the World Fisheries Day to highlight the challenges faced by the fisheries sector. The ‘World Fisheries Day’ is observed every year on November 21 to highlight the important role the fisheries play in sustaining life on the planet.

The theme for the year 2023 was “Build enabling policy environments for small-scale artisanal fisheries”, according to press statement issued here Thursday, which added that this year’s theme emphasized the crucial role of small-scale fishers in sustainable fisheries management. The day is observed to bring into limelight the challenges including overfishing, habitat degradation, illegal fishing practices, pollution and the impact of climate change. According to the statement, the management of Karot Hydropower project had organized two parallel events to mark the day. The events were held at Government Boys Higher Secondary School Beor, Punjab and Secondary School Siah Jadi Azad Jammu and Kahsmir. The events were participated by the local school children, their teachers and local community members. Besides them, the representatives from Karot Power Company Limited (KPCL) and the Punjab and AJK Forest and Fisheries Departments were also present at their respective events. It is pertinent to mention here that last month, the BMP successfully achieved a critical milestone with the release of 5,000 Mahseer fish stock. This initiative is part of an agreement between IUCN KPCL to release 300,000 Mahseer fingerlings into the Jehlum River. CPEC’s flagship project “Karot Hydropower Project already completed its one year of safe operation, with a cumulative power generation of 3.64 billion kilowatt-hours. This is equivalent to saving about 1.59 million tons of standard coal and reducing approximately 3.98 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Karot Hydropower Project is the first large-scale hydropower investment and construction project under the Belt and Road Initiative and the first hydropower investment project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. With a total installed capacity of 720,000 kilowatts (720MW), the plant can meet the electricity needs of over 5 million local residents.