Two-day sixth International Fisheries Symposium and Expo 2017 titled ‘Innovative and Sustainable Aquaculture for Blue Revolution’ arranged by University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore, began at a local hotel on Wednesday. According to a press release issued here, Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Minister Asif Saeed Manais and Minister for Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Punjab Mian Yawar Zaman co-chaired the inaugural session of the symposium and inaugurated the expo which attracted a large numbers of fishery experts, researchers, academicians from across the world. UVAS Vice-Chancellor Meritorious Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, World Aquaculture Society-Asia Pacific Chapter President Dr Endhay Kontara, Pakistan Council for Science and Technology Chairman Prof Dr Anwarul Hassan Gillani, Pakistan Fishery Society President Dr Muhammad Ayub, fisheries and aquaculture experts from 16 countries, including America, Cananda, Mexico, the UK, Croatia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Belgium, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan were also present. The UVAS has the collaboration of Higher Education Commission, Pakistan Fisheries Society, Department of Fisheries Punjab and Economic Cooperation Organisation in organising the symposium. Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha spoke about the academics, research, development, extension programmes and community services of the university. He said that UVAS was swiftly achieving the milestones of need-based multi-level education and developing talent development institution by using its knowledge, resources and skills for growth of human resources. He said the UVAS had been recognised as a hub of professional advancement in wide-ranging areas, including veterinary and animal sciences, animal production and technology, biotechnology, microbiology, pharmaceutical sciences, food and nutrition sciences, environmental sciences, economics and business management. He said that currently UVAS scientists/faculty members were executing 87 research projects of about Rs 900 million. He said that fish was considered as best source of animal protein, however, per capita fish consumption was currently very low in the country which was around 2kg against the world average of about 20 kg. There is a need to create awareness about the benefits of fish as food to increase its consumption in Pakistan, he added. He said that in two days deliberations, more than 60 presentations would be made in technical sessions while 17 stalls had been established by the allied entrepreneurs in the expo. Livestock Minister Asif Saeed Manains called for increase in fish production by using latest technology. He said that all stakeholders, including UVAS and Pakistan Fisheries Society, should work hard. He said that there was a great potential for growth in fisheries sector by introducing new technologies. Punjab Minister for Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Mian Yawar Zaman spoke about various steps taken by the government for promotion of fisheries sector, including provision of soft loans to fish farmers. He stressed the need for coherent optimal fish farming to increase fish production. He asked the participants to come up with viable suggestions for sustainable aquaculture in the country. He said that although fish farming was a recent phenomenon in the country yet its contribution to national economy was encouraging which needed to be further enhanced. Various sessions on fish feeding, management, fish diseases and health management, fish pond and hatchery management, fish harvesting and post-harvest technology, research planning, data acquisition analysis and interpretation, fish physiology, breeding and genetics and poster competitions would feature the two-day event.