Pakistan Committed to Conserving Marine Ecosystem: President

News Desk

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to conserving its marine ecosystems and coastal areas by addressing challenges such as sea pollution and climate change on Thursday.

He emphasized that maritime pollution is a significant concern for Pakistan, as it negatively impacts aquatic life and causes a decline in the country’s fisheries sector.

The president shared these views during a meeting with Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), who called on him at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

The meeting was also attended by Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaiser Ahmad Sheikh, Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, and senior government officials.

Welcoming the Secretary-General, President Zardari highlighted that focusing on the blue economy is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s national development strategy. The country is eager to modernize its fisheries and ship-breaking sectors under the Special Investment Facilitation Council.

He outlined Pakistan’s effective steps to combat climate change, mentioning that the country has planted mangroves on over a million acres in Sindh and sold carbon credits on the international market. He also announced plans to expand mangrove planting to an additional 2 million acres.

The president reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to adhering to IMO regulations and standards for maritime safety, security, and environmental protection. He expressed optimism for future collaboration with the IMO in areas such as technical cooperation and expertise-sharing to improve Pakistan’s maritime sector.

Secretary-General Dominguez Velasco acknowledged Pakistan’s vast maritime potential and assured that IMO would continue to support Pakistan in fostering sustainable and efficient maritime industry practices.

President Zardari congratulated Dominguez Velasco on his election as the 10th Secretary-General of IMO and expressed confidence in his leadership in advancing the organization’s mission to promote a fair and effective regulatory framework for the global shipping industry.