Zoological Survey Department

HISTORY

Zoological Survey Department was established in Pakistan in June, 1948, under Ministry of Food & Agriculture as a counterpart of the Zoological Survey of India with two officers and few lower technical staff, which opted for Pakistan, constituted the nucleus of the department. Though this department was established in Pakistan with the same aims and objects as of its counterpart in India but unfortunately was handicapped in respect of trained personals, literature, specimens of animals, equipments and proper accommodation.

In 1949, the Zoological Survey Department took over the Marine Fisheries Department from the Government of Sindh and the officer Incharge of the Zoological Survey Department was redesignated as Officer Incharge Zoological Survey Department and Marine Fisheries Department. In January, 1951, the Government of Pakistan created a Central Marine Fisheries Department and thus Zoological Survey Department and Marine Fisheries Department was separated w.e.f. 15-01-1951.

In the beginning, the primary function of the department was to collect the fauna of the country so that basic knowledge about the Zoogeography of Pakistan could be gathered. Zoological Survey Department is guardian of the National Zoological collection. Due to the shortage of technical staff and officers, the work in the beginning had been very slow but in the later years more officers and staff was recruited and the activities were increased and continued to grow gradually. Extensive and valuable field studies have been undertaken by the department in different parts of the country. These studies have covered special ecological areas, lands, forests, wetlands, high altitudes as well as in lakes, rivers and coastal areas. The animals species are collected and studied in their ecological zones, and their distribution, habitat, status, food habits and other relevant biological and scientific information and data is martialled. It has handsome number specimen of different groups of animals from different habitat and ecosystems of the country.

The collection made in faunastic survey is maintained as reserve collection for taxonomic studies. The ZSD have not received its share of reserve collections from the Zoological Survey of India and had to build up its reserve collections from the start. It has sizable reserve collections but it still needs to be augmented so that reserve collections of each group of fauna can be maintained in separate Natural History Galleries. The time has come when it is essential to secure the proper co-ordination of the institution as a whole and ensure it harmonious blend with the future so that a rational approach towards its scope and functions can be chalked out.

In 1962 the Marine Zoological Research Laboratory was established to study biology, physiology and biochemistry of the Marine fauna of Pakistan. Research on benthic fauna vertebrate fauna of mangrove swamps and food values of commercially important marine species has been conducted and about sixty papers have been published in national and international journals.

In December 1972, the Zoological Survey Department was transferred from the administrative control of the Ministry of Food & Agriculture to the Ministry of Science and Technology. In November 1979, the department was again transferred to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Cooperatives. In November 1995, the Department was placed in newly created Ministry of Environment.

OBJECTIVES