By Abdul Wajid Khan ISLAMABAD, Oct 29 (INP-WealthPk) - The inclusion of the multibillion dollar Karachi Comprehensive Coastal Development Zone (KCCDZ) project in the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a landmark development, which will go a long way in upgrading the country’s underperforming seafood and fisheries sector and promoting its seafood trade with China and other countries. KCCDZ holds great promise for Pakistan and the entire region as well, and will prove to be a ‘game changer’ after its inclusion in CPEC’s portfolio. Since its announcement, the project has attracted global attention and made headlines in national and international media. However, some international media organisations speculated that the focus of CPEC was being shifted from Gwadar to Karachi, which Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi strongly denied and rather asserted that the corridor project was moving into Karachi in addition to Gwadar and was expanding its framework, which is great for Pakistan. It is pertinent to mention here that China and Pakistan had built a consensus to make the KCCDZ project a part of CPEC during the recently held 10th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on CPEC. Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the inclusion of KCCDZ in CPEC as a game changer, and said it would clean up the country’s marine habitat for fishermen. He added that it will develop 20,000 low-income housing units, present opportunities for investors and put Karachi on par with developed port cities in the world. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that China and Pakistan had agreed to include KCCDZ in CPEC and listed it as an outcome of the JCC meeting. She added that China was ready to work with Pakistan to earnestly follow through on the common understanding of the leaders on the two sides and the outcomes of the JCC meeting. Official details indicate that KCCDZ focuses on providing Karachi with an ultra-modern urban infrastructure zone, placing it amongst the top port cities of the world. In a first of its kind even for CPEC, the planned multibillion dollar mega project would be built on direct Chinese investment in partnership with Karachi Port Trust (KPT). The quantum of expected investment is around $3.5 billion. Developed in a reclaimed area of approximately 640 hectares on the Western marshland of KPT, KCCDZ would be a flagship project for not only Pakistan but the entire region. In accordance with PM Imran Khan’s vision for promoting low-cost housing, it would also provide residential resettlement to more than 20,000 families living in the surrounding slums. This environment-friendly mega project envisages four new berths for KPT, adding depth to Pakistan’s expanding maritime sector. It would also house a state-of-the-art fishing port with a world class fisheries export processing zone to boost Pakistan’s trade potential. It will also drastically improve the marine ecosystem and reduce pollution by establishing a water treatment plant at the mouth of the Lyari River. It would connect with the rest of Karachi through a majestic harbour bridge rising from behind Pakistan’s Deepwater Port, with exit ramps for Manora Islands and Sandspit beach. It carries enormous potential for global investors as well. The project envisages upgrading and modernising Pakistan’s more than 1,000 kilometres long coastline to tap the country’s export potential in ribbon fish, cuttlefish, squid, octopus, shrimps and other items. A media report on the potential of Pakistan’s fishing industry says that the country has commercially important resources in this sector which include near 250 demersal fish species, 50 small pelagic fish species, 15 medium-sized pelagic species and 20 large pelagic fish species and there are also 15 commercial species of shrimp, 12 of cephalopods and five of lobster. According to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Pakistan’s fisheries exports during 2020-21 were recorded at over Rs660 million, which is far below the country’s real potential of seafood.