Many families in Sindh are caught in a vicious cycle of poverty due to various reasons, among the most important contributing factors, malnutrition is one of them. The goal of multi-sectoral Accelerated Action Plan for Reduction of Malnutrition and Stunting (AAP) is to reduce stunting from 48% to 30% in first five years by 2021 and 15% by 2026 in Sindh.

Fisheries Sector of AAP will strengthen nutrition supply system by improving food delivery and introducing innovative strategies as follows:

• Involve local communities at village level to enable them to participate in nutrition improvement process through fish farming.
• Strengthen food/nutrition system through fish protein intake in maternal, children as well all members of the households.
• Strengthen the community-based organisations focusing on rural areas to adopt new aquaculture technologies for sustainable nutrition provision.
• Increase nutrition intake at community level through multi-sectoral coordination mechanism to enhance coverage of nutrient supplementation.
• Implementing a woman focused approach as well as male by training them for aquaculture/fish farming.
• Introduce, implement, monitoring, reporting system and filling gaps.
• Improving health status of deprived fishermen community & replenishment of quality fish seed in major lakes of Sindh.
• Developing a sustainable mechanism of fish seed production to cater the demand of targeted households also for restoration of lakes potential.

The AAP-Fisheries Sector is encouraging community-based participation with regard to reduce stunting and malnutrition in Sindh. The objectives are to be achieved through the following activities:
A – Fish Pond Demonstration/Input
This component focuses on technical assistance and activities related to diversified fish/aquaculture production and post-harvest management. To ensure the quality of the activities financed under this project, the Department of Fisheries establishes Fish Ponds and conducts training packages using the fisheries field school approach. These packages include how to culture fish in confined conditions and how to feed fish and manage village fish pond on sustainable manner.
B – Group formation and Mobilization initiatives
This component leads to form village-based community organisations. The social mobilization process helps the communities to understand the goal of the larger nutrition initiative. The specific role of fish farming/ aquaculture in nutrition has been highlighted.
C – Advocacy, Training, Research and data collection
Taking into account farmer or officer’s knowledge and preferences as well as producer knowledge and concerns. The subcomponents include:

• Advocacy: The department will develop a cohesive communications program on nutrition targeting the population within the program area.
  • To increase nutrition awareness among various target groups, particularly women and villagers to improve knowledge, attitude, and practices around nutrition. Promotion of nutritious foods particularly fish intake and providing households’ necessary knowledge to prepare and consume these foods to complement their diets will be part of the advocacy /awareness campaign.
  • Working at the provincial and district levels through workshops, seminars, exposure visits, and training programmes to increase the skills of communities and diverse audiences; and provide technical assistance to communities and producers in fish cultivation.
  • To keep intact advocacy policy, information awareness centers will be established across the province to provide information for new technologies to masses for the sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the province.
• Capacity Building. Reduction of stunting and malnutrition is essentially a new business line for the Department of Fisheries staff, and it requires capacity building of the staff to be able to promote and implement activities and appropriate technologies which may suit the masses. An institutional capacity assessment building with framework at the provincial fisheries officers will be developed through overseas trainings that would provide hand-holding support to the DoF for program implementation and future development of the fisheries/aquaculture sector.
• Research and Data Collection. To contribute program activities and the broader implementation of the provincial strategy on nutrition, the program will document lessons from implementation. The technical data will be collected and analysed that will contribute as a part of reference for future projects of the same origin.

D – Back yard fish Hatcheries
Approximately 1208 fish ponds will be established in 22 districts across the province except Tharpakar district where perennial supply of water is inadequate. This component will cover the activities to provide sustainable fish seed supply therefore 10 backyard fish hatcheries will be established.
E – Replenishment of fish seed stock in major lakes
The fishermen population is worst affected by malnutrition. Moreover, their economic further worsens when there is no fish catch as well as alternative source of income for their livelihood. Therefore, to reduce stunting and malnutrition among this deprived community, fish seed stock will be released in to waters for enhancing fish population for augmentation of the fishers and income generation for livelihood. Moreover, research studies will be conducted for further improvement.