By Faiza Tehseen Islamabad, Nov 05 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan’s coastline is rich in a variety of seafood some of which is though not a delicacy for Pakistani cuisine or other uses but high in demand globally. Molluscan shellfish or oysters are one of them and Pakistan’s brackish waters are a favourable breeding ground for them. Nine different species of oysters belonging to the genera “Crassostrea", “Saccostrea” and “Ostrea” occur naturally along Pakistan’s coastline of which “Crassostrea" is major edible species. Oysters found in shells are not well consumed in Pakistan but in international markets, they sell at high prices. Hard-bone shape shell oysters are high in demand in foreign countries for human consumption but domestically they are used for ornamental purposes or sold as chicken feed. Globally, oysters are not only eaten raw or cooked, but also the salty water inside their shells is ingested like coconut water. The fishermen of “Ibrahim Hyderi jetty” in Karachi specialize in oyster hunting, handling and processing. They sort and clean tons of oysters in various factories at the jetty along with shrimps and prawns. Oyster farming is a good source to generate revenues, earn foreign exchange and raise GDP. To capture the international market with full strength, Pakistan must develop aquaculture for the commercial growth of oysters, hatching and culturing new species, which would be better in taste and more immune to parasitic diseases. Worldwide growing demand for clams and oysters seems to have caught up with the Pakistani shores. Total export of Molluscs from Pakistan (including products) in terms of quantity and value from 1990 to 2015. Source: http://www.thejaps.org.pk/docs/Accepted/2019/29-05/08.pdf   Frozen and live oysters are exported at a large scale to East Asian countries e.g., South Korea, China, Thailand and Vietnam. Worldwide production of oysters was 4.6 million tons in 2005. China was the leading country in producing 3.8 million tons followed by South Korea (0.3 million tons) and Japan 0.2 million tons. In many Asian countries, the oyster industry is highly developed, while in some other countries, it is in the developmental or experimental stage. In China, Crassostrea species, C. plicates, C. Rivularis and C, Talienensis gained commercial importance and are being cultured extensively. In many other South Asian countries e.g., Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand, some other species are cultured. Aquaculture has immense potential in Pakistan and it is being improved. Time series data of total aquaculture production of Pakistan from 1950 to 2020. Source: http://www.thejaps.org.pk/docs/Accepted/2019/29-05/08.pdf   In Pakistan, the fisheries industry is managed by the Fisheries Development Commission (FDC) under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MFAL). FDC is responsible for planning and coordination with the provincial fisheries departments and other related national and international agencies i.e., Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) and Asia Pacific Fishery Commission. Pakistan’s exports of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatics invertebrates were US$373.39 million during 2020, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Pakistan Exports of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatics invertebrates - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated in October of 2021). Source: https://tradingeconomics.com/pakistan/exports/fish-crustaceans-molluscs-aquatics-invertebrates   Pakistan’s iron friend China is the largest oyster producer in the world meeting more than 80% of global demand. China is also adept at pearl oyster farming and has been the largest producer of pearls since 1980. As China leads in aquaculture, Pakistan must get its expert assistance and cooperation to boost this sector. Marine species has been the main source of livelihood of around 70% of Pakistan’s coastal community for decades. To improve their economic conditions, special training to handle oyster hunting is a must because in this present era of modern fishing practises, Pakistani fishermen mostly are clinging to unproductive conservative fishing techniques. The fishermen also need to be warned against using unprofessional ways like salt throwing in deltas and using lethal fishing nets for oyster hunting so that they remain safe from overhunting. The Government of Pakistan has taken a few steps to prevent the overhunting of oysters to secure their population. Sindh has also undertaken five creeks of the Indus delta in 2010 and 2011. Recently, the Sindh coastal community development project has installed more rafts at the creeks for oyster cultivation to meet the international demand, while at almost all other sites where the environment is free of industrial and domestic pollution, raft establishment is under process.