CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
Only 19 of the 225 wetlands in Pakistan's extensive riverine system have been
designated as Ramsar sites. Pakistan contains 9.7% of the world's wetlands, or
close to 780,000 hectares. According to IUCN 1989, of which 73% comprises of
fresh water and 26.06% contains coastal wetland regions.(Altaf et al., 2015).For
humans as well as for industrial, agricultural, drinking, and local residential
reasons, freshwater is a crucial and scarce source of life (Bartram and Balance,
1996). Asia has a significant number of basins for the growth and rearing of fish.
fluctuations in water level due to fluctuations in rainfall at growing and rearing are
the result of variations in river ecosystem parameters (Thorp et al., 2010). The
morphology of the fish population changes as a result of these dynamics, which are
determined by the impact of environmental conditions on a river ecosystem
(Taylor et al., 2006), interactions between species (Winemiller, 1989), fish
movement, and food availability (Taylor, 1997).An aquatic ecosystem's biological
variety and physiochemical characteristics are essential to its continued health
(Venkatesharaju et al., 2010). Due to the influence of other creatures' distribution
and abundance on a particular habitat, fish are an appropriate indicator in aquatic
environments (Olopade, 2001). Overexploitation by humans leads to habitat loss
and degradation, as well as habitat degradation. As a result, a number of freshwater
fish species are now threatened. The dynamics of population change the principal
population rates over time, with fish species serving as the primary indicator of
ecological health. Fish species' abundance and health are thus indicators of the
proper health of water systems (Hamzah, 2007).The physiochemical characteristics
of the water have a direct impact on the survival, reproduction, distribution, and
growth of fish. Any unfavourable alteration in the environment has an impact on
fish life. All aquatic species in any body of water can more accurately assess how
various physical and chemical conditions interact with one another (Deepak and
Singh, 2014).According to Mushahida-Al-Noor and Kamruzzaman (2013),
changes in the aquatic environment's physiochemical elements that support general
biological processes have a significant impact on fish populations. Richness, or the
number of species in a single area, and Evenness, or the number of species across
the overall population, are the two factors that make up variety (Magurran, 2004).
The more than 30,000 distinct fish species found worldwide are divided into 62
orders and 515 fish families (Helfman et al., 2009). Pakistan boasts a large variety
of freshwater and marine fishes, with more than 171 species (Mirza et al., 2011).
1.1 NUTRIENTS OF FISH AND FISH DEMAND:
Worldwide, there are more than 30,000 different species of fish, which is more
than half of all vertebrates. Fish serve a crucial function for humans as a source of
protein in addition to being an important component of biodiversity (Rasmussen et
al., 2009). An enormous quantity of fish oil that has not been treated is used to
make insecticides, paints, pharmaceuticals, and other products (Trivedi et al.,
2014). According to Victor et al. (2009), fish oil is frequently utilized in CAM/TM,
or complementary and alternative medicine/traditional medicine. Fish meat is a
fantastic source of vital nutrients for both children and adults. Fish has large
amounts of unsaturated fatty acids. Due to their high polyunsaturated fatty acid
content, fish meat and fish oil may help lower blood cholesterol levels (Huynh et
al., 2007). Fisheries and aquaculture products are a great source of food, but they
are also important employers and give people money (Costello, 2012). Fish is an
excellent source of iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin A, and other nutrients that can aid
with a variety of health problems (Harris, 2004). The body receives a sufficient
amount of protein from eating fish (Dulvy and Allison, 2009). In Pakistan, fish
meat is a significant source of protein. With 7% of the total protein and 80% of the
animal protein consumed coming from fish, it is the largest source of aquatic
protein. According to Ababouch and Karunasagar (2013), Pakistan consumes 2.1
kilogrammes of fish annually on average, compared to 19 kilogrammes in affluent
countries. The nutrients included in fish as a human meal include protein, zinc,
iron, calcium, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the majority of which are omega-3.
Future sources of protein and fatty acids for human consumption will be
increasingly dependent on seafood and products developed from aquaculture
(WHO, 1999). Fish include important nutrients such 84g/kg calcium, 350mg iron,
and 85mg zinc per kg (Glover-Amengor et al., 2012; Lunger et al., 2007). Fish also
contains vitamins "D" and "A," as well as minerals including iron, phosphorus, and
iodine.
Humans need fish as a source of protein (Abbas et al., 2010). It is a valuable source
of protein for the diet because of the Omega 3 fats and low carbohydrate content
(Razvi, 2006). 85% to 95% of these proteins are digested. Omega-3
polyunsaturated unsaturated fats, which are found in fish meat, are crucial for early
brain development, healthy heart function, and body growth. Proteins, lipids,
vitamins A, B, and D, as well as other crucial minerals like P, Mg, Fe, I, and Can,
may all be found in fish (Golden et al., 2016).
For the rural poor in many developing countries who have access to water and
fishing resources, fish is a vital source of income and sustenance (Thompson and
Subasinghe, 2011). Since fish is the most popular animal protein, it is used
frequently in a variety of daily meals, many of which are high in carbohydrates.
Fish is a significant source of both macro- and micronutrients for human
populations. However, the percentage of wealthy countries where people regularly
eat fish is closer to 50%. Asia is home to a large number of little islands, including
the Maldives (which makes up 69%), Cambodia (6%), Bangladesh (58%),
Indonesia (53%), and Sri Lanka (54%) (FAO, 2012).
1.2 FISHERIES SECTOR IN PAKISTAN AND WORLDWIDE:
An activity that involves raising fish is referred to as fishing. It also
includes fish that have been raised in aquaculture as well as fish that
have been caught in rivers, lakes, and canals. In the exercises or plans of
the previous attributes, it is typically specified in terms of the
participants, fish species, fishing techniques, boat class, and goal (FAO,
2010). By offering a plentiful source of protein, the fisheries industry is
playing a crucial part in finding solutions to the food issue. These fishery
resources in Pakistan have a lot of potential for economic growth. The
fisheries in the area produced a significant number of fish in 2004, with
a total reported catch of 564105 tons (Mohsin et al., 2017). There were
158 fisheries produced worldwide. Aquaculture brought in 86 billion
dollars in 2009, representing an 8% yearly growth rate over the previous
30 years. The occasional variety is being severely reduced and affected
by increased land access for horticulture, especially organic cycles,
which are thought to be changing freshwater and marine food webs and
lowering fish output (Prasad and Kaushal, 2010). According to Ashwini
and Grish (2012), an additional 25% of people in underdeveloped
nations experience hunger and other health issues. Due to the fact that it
aids farmers and gives fish flesh to the needy, aquaculture and fish are
significant components of food production and trade. Additionally, 16
million individuals worldwide engage in a variety of fishing-related
activities (Prasad et al., 2018).The top importers of eatable fish in 2009
were the United States ($13.68 billion), Japan ($12.90 billion), Spain
($5.80 billion), France ($5.48 billion), Italy ($4.93 billion), Germany
($4.22 billion), and China ($3.62 billion). These countries are followed
by Japan ($12.90 billion), Spain ($5.80 billion), France ($5.48 billion),
Italy ($4.93 billion), and Germany ($4.22 billion). Unlike the flesh of
other animals, its meat includes high-quality protein that is easier to
digest. Additionally, eating it is associated with a lower risk of
cardiovascular disease and reduces blood cholesterol levels, particularly
triacylglycerides (Abbas et al., 2010).The nation's fisheries industry,
which is crucial to the national economy and the livelihoods of coastal
inhabitants, contributed 0.41% of GDP last year, whereas Pakistan's
agro-based economy contributed 19.5% to GDP. Fish exports from
Pakistan to China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and other
Middle Eastern and international nations have brought in 276.269
million dollars (Anonymous, 2017–18). The problem can be solved by
adding fish as a high-protein supplement to the human diet because there
has been an increase in human population, which has placed additional
strain on the food supply (Sheikh, 2004). New methods have been
developed to improve the amount of fish that can be produced in order to
fulfil the growing demand for fish (Hussein, 2012).
The aquatic ecology of Pakistan contains 193 different species of fish.
These species can be found in the class Actinopterygii, subclass
Teleostei, 3 associations, 6 super requests, 13 orders, 30 families, and 86
genera (Din et al., 2016). In order to achieve and provide a consistent
distribution of protein-rich food source, the aquaculture zone has grown
at a mean compounded annual rate of 9.2% in a coastal line since 1970,
compared to 1.4% for capture fisheries practices and a 0.8% for
livestock and terrestrial-based farmed meat production structures
(Cristea et al., 2012). There are more than 15,000 freshwater fish species
among the 32,500 total species, even though just 0.3% of the world's
available water is freshwater (Nelson JS 2006). According to (FAO
2007), 94% of the world's freshwater fisheries are found in developing
countries, where millions of the poorest people depend on these
resources for their daily existence. Freshwater fisheries are essential for
controlling nutrient balances and ecosystem dynamics. Sadly, this group
of vertebrates is the most endangered among all of them, according to
the IUCN's evaluation of more than 5,000 species of freshwater fish
(Ried et al., 2013). Since humans first started fishing, many types of
water bodies have been a major source of sustenance for people. The
demand for these healthy products is so great that in 2009, more eatable
aquatic food items were traded globally (26.85–27.45 million tons;
Foreign Rural Service/US Department of Agriculture; FAO,
2012).Global meat output climbed from 101 million tons in 1970 to 293
million tons in 2010, according to (FAO 2012), expanding at a typical
annual rate of 2.7% over that time. However, there are distinct
differences between wild fishing and aquaculture in terms of area
development, with aquaculture production growing at a typical annual
rate of 2.7% from 1970 to 2010 compared to caught production, which
only increased at a 1.5% annual rate from 38.2 to 68.4 million tons, or
less than the global population growth rate of 1.6% during the same
period (Stefania Vannuccini, FAO, personal communication FAO,
2012).