President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated Pakistan's commitment to conserving its marine ecosystems and coastal areas by addressing challenges such as sea pollution and climate change.

He was talking to the visiting Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, who called on him in Islamabad today.

The President said that maritime pollution is a major concern for Pakistan as it is negatively affecting aquatic life, causing a decline in the growth of the country's fisheries sector.

He said that Pakistan is keen on modernizing its fisheries and shipbreaking sectors under the Special Investment Facilitation Council and focusing on the blue economy is a cornerstone of country's development strategy.

He said that Pakistan is taking effective steps to tackle the effects of climate change and wanted to improve its marine ecosystem. He said that IMO's assistance and expertise would be welcomed in this regard.

In order to mitigate the impacts of climate change, Asif Ali Zardari said that Pakistan had planted mangroves over a million acres in Sindh and also sold carbon credits in the international market. He said that further there is a plan to plant mangroves on two million acres of land.

The President expressed Pakistan's strong commitment to adhering to IMO regulations and standards for maritime safety, security and environmental protection.

Asif Ali Zardari said that Pakistan is looking forward to exploring potential areas for future collaboration with IMO, including technical cooperation and expertise-sharing to improve country's maritime sector.

On his part, the Secretary-General said that Pakistan has great maritime potential and IMO would continue to support Pakistan in advancing collaborations and promoting a sustainable and efficient maritime industry.

The President also congratulated the Secretary-General on his election as the tenth Secretary General of IMO and expressed confidence in his leadership to advance the organization's mission for a fair and effective regulatory framework for the global shipping industry.