KARACHI, Aug 28: Pakistan needs to explore its marine potential for ornamental fish, which is a lucrative business abroad, because the sustainable utilisation of the precious resource can not only help the country earn the much-needed foreign exchange, but also provide employment opportunities to underprivileged local communities.

Besides, there is also a need to revive the marine aquarium at Clifton as the absence of such a facility in a coastal city is a big disappointment, experts told Dawn while sharing their views on the country’s potential for marine aquarium fish.

“The country can easily earn between $20 million and $30 million annually by exporting marine ornamental fish and, perhaps even more, if it also taps its potential for the marine invertebrates. However, this needs to be done in a sustainable way so that we continue to benefit from the diversity of our marine flora and fauna,” observed Mohammad Moazzam Khan, former director general of the federally-administrated marine fisheries department, currently serving as a consultant with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Mr Khan’s knowledge of the subject is purely based on his observations and experiences that he had the opportunity to acquire during his postings in Sindh and Balochistan since no credible data exists on the status of marine ornamental fish. “There are 1,800 species of marine fish found in Pakistani waters. Of them, 50 to 60 ornamental fish species can be exported. Right now, these fish, most of which caught as bycatch, are thrown away while others with a good taste are eaten. However, in countries like the Philippines,  the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India, it is a valuable commercial commodity,” he said.

Specifying the areas where such fishes were found, Mr Khan said that the waters with coral reefs were generally considered best place to find aquarium fish.“Although Pakistan does not have coral reefs except some patches of corals mainly along the Balochistan coast, the Arabian Sea along our coast have diversified marine life that include a large number of fish suitable for aquarium trade.

“Sustainable exploitation of this hitherto untapped resource can be a source of livelihood for coastal communities as well a valuable export commodity for Pakistan,” he said.

Marine ornamental fishes were used to be exported in the 1960s to European countries and that too in significant quantity; he said and added that the only person who exported the fish to Europe was a Pakistan-based German, who had converted to Islam.

The aquarium fish found in the market were all freshwater species while many of them were imported ones, he said adding that a major problem in keeping marine ornamental fish at home was the supply of seawater, besides specialised care and an special aquarium were also needed.

Giving his opinion, Dr Pirzada Jamal Siddiqui of the Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology, Karachi University, said that no research had ever been done on this subject which was necessary in order to know the exact status of ornamental fish in the sea prior to any attempt for their exploitation.

“I also strongly recommend the revival of marine aquarium in Clifton. The absence of such a facility is a poor reflection on a coastal city. Our people and children need to know the kind of species we have in our waters, which is the first step towards conservation,” he said.

Some of the marine ornamental fish found in Pakistani waters include red lionfish (Pterois volitans), pennant coralfish (Heniochus acuminatus), bluering angelfish (Pomacanthus annularis), twobar seabream (Acathopagrus bifasciatus), ornate emperor (Lethrinus ornatus), spotted scat (Scatophagus argus) and butterfly fish (Chaetodon vagabundus).