[Karachi, Pakistan] – A two-day stakeholder consultative workshop was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on Balochistan Fisheries Policy & Legislation on 21st and 22nd February, 2024 in Karachi. The event was conducted by FAO as part of its technical assistance to the Government of Balochistan in alignment with the “Gwadar Lasbela Livelihood Support Project Phase II (GLLSP-II)” backed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The overall process is technically led by FAO’s Senior Policy Specialist Dr. Kanwar Muhammad Javed Iqbal along with FAO’s Legal Expert Mr. Sharafat Ali leading the Legislative part. Balochistan Fisheries Department Officials Dr. Allauddin Kakar and Mr. Asmatullah were the Focal Persons for Marine and Inland Fisheries respectively.

The workshop served as a pivotal platform to engage a diverse array of stakeholders within the fisheries sector, aiming to foster collaboration and garner insights for the formulation of a robust fisheries policy framework and legal instruments. Leveraging a bottom-up participatory approach and qualitative methodology, FAO’s Technical Team led the initiative with a dedicated focus on empowering the local fisheries and aquaculture value chain.