Restoration of the native oyster of Pakistan

Partner Institutes
Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology, University of Karachi	Queen's University, Belfast

The Romans are believed to have paid for them by their weight in gold, yet Pakistan has paid very little attention to utilising its native oyster species and earning valuable revenue. Oysters remain popular with gourmet food lovers, and with them fast becoming extinct the world over, now is the time to harvest previously unexploited habitats for the benefit of the local economy.

The INSPIRE partnership between the Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology, University of Karachi, the University of Stirling and the Queens University, Belfast is designed to work on the rehabilitation of Pakistan’s edible oyster stocks. These are found along the coasts of Sindh and Balochistan and are dwindling rapidly because of a lack of interest.

The aim of the project is to encourage oyster aquaculture by involving government and private enterprise and exploring means of commercialisation that would make the harvesting of oysters a profitable venture. It would also mean the development of little-known coastal communities by developing a local industry within them and creating new jobs.

The partnership has enabled researchers from the UK to deliver lectures in Pakistan on oyster restoration. Local researchers have visited the partners in the UK to learn best practises and benefit from their expertise. Work is also being done to develop an oyster hatchery in Pakistan where local produce can be cultivated.

In these times of economic uncertainty, it is imperative that the country put to use all its natural resources in an effective manner. Our oysters may not yield pearls but their worth can no longer be ignored.

Lessons learnt:

Such exchange programmes are beneficial for higher education institutes, particularly for Pakistani universities. The faculty staff on visit to UK universities got a chance to gain practical knowledge about the latest research being undertaken in the field. The visit of UK partners helped them in understanding the Pakistani culture and social activities. They also benefited from the research experiences of Pakistani researchers as the environmental conditions here are much different than in the UK.

Challenges faced:

Due to the prevailing law and order situation in the country, the partners faced difficulty in visiting oyster sites. The oyster spawning and larval development is seasonal, therefore they had to wait for the spawning season to get the oyster seed. The delay in receiving the grant created difficulty in carrying out research activity and also affected the schedule of activities initially planned. Another difficulty faced during the project was the untimely retirement of Dr. Janet Brown of the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Sterling, who was the link coordinator.

The impact/benefits of the project:

• Initiation of work on oyster restoration in Pakistan.
• Realisation of their commercial and ecological importance.
• Promotion of ecological conservation and aquaculture-related studies and research.
• Generation of specialised manpower.
• Benefits to coastal community.
• Development of new links and widening of the network, as well as extension of student exchange programme.

Key contacts: 
Dr. David Roberts, Queens University, Belfast
d.roberts@qub.ac.uk, www.qub.ac.uk

Dr. Ghazala Siddiqui, University of Karachi

ghazala_siddiqui@hotmail.com

www.uok.edu.pk