The blue bounty

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The geographical location of Pakistan is also a significant aspect of our strategic construct

2023-01-17T05:10:54+05:00 Reema Shaukat

Oceans are a vital resource of our planet, containing count less marine species and vastseabed possessions. Human existence is inherently linked with oceans and seas. The growing world population and increasing food and energy demands coupled with diminishing land resources have persistently compelled the human race to explore alternate measures for our sustenance and economic development. Besides being the cheapest medium for the transportation of goods, oceans contribute to the world’s economy through tourism, fishing, renewable energy production, aquaculture, and seabed resources. Reliance on oceans has led to diverse economic interactions which are termed the blue economy, covering industries focused on sustainable utilisation of ocean-based resources. Pakistan is one blessed country with the possession of this great resource along with all its bounties. We have a vast coastline, 240,000 square kilometres, Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), a 50,000 sqkm Continental Shelf (CS), and a very vibrant coastal community. The geographical location of Pakistan is also a significant aspect of our strategic construct. It offers the shortest route to the Indian Ocean for Central Asian Republics, Afghanistan, and western parts of China through Karachi and Gwadar ports, presenting great potential for development at national and regional levels. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion prong of BRI by China, carries land and sea components. Gwadar serves as its sea component and the projects conceived under CPEC around Gwadar are expected to yield tremendous benefits to our maritime industry. CPEC is thus a manifestation of Pakistan’s commitment to utilising the potential of the Blue Economy. Pakistan has not been truly focusing on its maritime possessions, yet to safeguard our maritime territory a very potent navy for the seaward defence of the country as well as Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) for the policing of the area under its jurisdiction are working day and night. Pakistan Navy especially is not merely discharging its responsibility of defending the country but is also a harbinger of highlighting the importance of maritime resources that the country possesses. The concept of the blue economy is increasingly adopted by developed nations for sustainable growth. Being cognisant of the importance of the blue economy, Pakistan Navy has adopted a comprehensive maritime awareness campaign to sensitise relevant segments of society and policymakers. Across the globe, Maritime exhibitions provide an ideal platform to showcase various products, systems, and services leading to beneficial business partnerships. On the same lines, Pakistan International Maritime Expo & Conference (PIMEC) is an initiative of the Pakistan Navy which is going to be organised under the patronage of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs from the 10th of February to the 12th of February, 2023 to accelerate the development of the maritime sector in Pakistan and reap the benefits of Blue Economy. PIMEC will focus on investment and collaboration in a variety of significant fields. These include port operations, maritime logistics, sea transportation, shipbuilding and repair, shipbreaking, fisheries and aquaculture, sea bed resource exploration, maritime training and education, coastal tourism, renewable energy generation, environmental protection, marine engineering equipment, and real estate development along the coast. These all are the main components of the Blue Economy, and it is fair enough to note that Pakistan has the potential to progress leaps and bounds in these arenas. Highlighting Pakistan’s vast potential for the blue economy is the core objective of the PIMEC. It is envisaged to provide opportunities for the domestic maritime industry to display products at one forum and interact directly with the international maritime industry. It will extend invitations to maritime and defence equipment manufacturers from around the world for joint ventures, transfer of technology, and research so that Pakistan’s industrial setup gets a boost. It will overall result in reinforcing efforts in the realm of maritime diplomacy. PIMEC is a wholesome idea as besides the exhibition there will also be an exclusive International Maritime Conference held under the auspices of the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA). Eminent speakers both domestic and international will exchange views on the latest trends and scientific approaches to various challenges related to the maritime industry. It will be an epoch-making event to highlight Pakistan’s maritime potential and the domestic capacity for growth in this sector. PIMEC will provide an ideal opportunity for interactions between the target customers and maritime industry representatives. A large number of trade and industry participants from the local and international maritime sector are therefore being invited to attend the event. To achieve the objectives of this national-level event, support of relevant ministries, departments and the business community will be mustered and it is thus likely to be a display of well-orchestrated interaction between different segments of government and entities related to the maritime sector. Hence, it will be a great source of learning for everyone via a forum that will exhibit enormous knowledge on the benefits of the maritime domain hitherto, less realised.

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