Excessive fishing: seafood exports decline by $2.861 million in October

The year-long excessive fishing caused a big plunge in fish and shrimp catch which is estimated to be about 40 percent lower this year, resulting in seafood export decline by $2.861 million in October this year, exporters said on Saturday. The country''s seafood export stood 8.10 percent lower to $32.449 million in October as compared to the $35.310 million in October last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said. 
"Overfishing round the year and use of banned nets by fishermen plagued the sea and reduced the seafood crop significantly during August-September period," said Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association (Pakfea) Chairman Faisal Iftikhar. In terms of volume, the country''s seafood export also suffered a fall of 2,221 metric tons or 15.13 percent to 12,456 tons in October this year as compared to 14,677 tons in October last year, the PBS said.
However, seafood export in July-October 2013-14 increased to $117. 651 million from $98.732 million in the same period 2012-13, depicting a rise of $18.919 million or 16.43 percent. Faisal attributed the decline in catch to continuing fishing activity round the year without any halt to let the sea increase its seafood crop. He termed the fisheries situation "too bad", saying the government has to act to maintain fish and shrimp stocks in its seawaters.
Similarly, in terms of quantity, seafood export moved up to 48,729 tons in July-October this year from 41,851 tons in the same period last year, showing an increase of 6,878 tons or 19.16 percent, the PBS said. Chairman Pakfea said the annual catch at the country''s sea is drastically falling which has its implications when it comes to seafood export. The fall in catch this season is reckoned between 30 percent and 40 percent, which held back the seafood export.
"The government is not interested in understanding the annual decline in seafood catch and the banned nets are widely used in the daily operation on seas," he said, adding that the authorities have to ensure implementation of two months annual fishing ban to help grow fisheries stocks, which are depleting fast.

News Source: Business Recorder      News Collected: agrinfobank.com Team

1st seafood consignment to EU

Friday, 26 July 2013

Zubair Ahmed Malik, President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry has expressed pleasure on the clearance of the first export consignment of Pakistani seafood to the European Union after a lapse of six years, which is a positive sign for the export of shrimp and fish products from Pakistan. Zubair Ahmed Malik said that he expected that the removal of the ban would have a significant impact on Pakistan's exports of seafood to the European Union, and other premium markets. He congratulated the two companies which had received clearance from EU for their consignments and hoped that other seafood suppliers would also receive clearance for their produce in the imminent future.-PR

Source: Business Recorder

Fisheries minister urges stakeholders to augment seafood export

July 18, 2013

Newly appointed Sindh Fisheries Minister Jam Khan Shoro on Wednesday urged the fisheries stakeholders to make untiring efforts to augment the seafood export from existing over $300 million.

Officials of Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) told Business Recorder that the new provincial minister paid his maiden visit to the fish harbour to attend briefing on the seafood export and other fisheries related matters. 

"Concrete efforts should be made to increase the seafood export," the officials cited the minister as saying. The minister was of the view that the country's seafood export sector has the potential to earn a substantial foreign exchange. The minister appreciated the KFHA for its efforts to help lift the EU ban from the country's seafood export, saying the authority had played a good role to address the EU issue. 

Director Operation, KFHA, Anis Soomro apprised the visiting minister as how the authority functions and its efforts to improve the fish harbour activities. He said KFHA financed modification of 539 boats under the ADP scheme to meet the EU condition, adding the authority also procured machinery and equipment for proper handling and transportation of seafood catch in line with the global specifications. 

KFHA Managing Director Dr Kazim Hussain Jatoi informed the minister that the harbour functioned on modern lines with a professional approach to handle seafood catch. He said the country's largest fish harbour would have a significant development in near future, as implementation on master plan for the port was under way. The minister inspected the auction halls and landing jetties and other harbour facilities.

Source: Business Recorder

Pakistan Seafood exports Up

Exports of fish and fish preparations witnessed increase of 2.48 percent during the first eight months of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Overall exports of fish and fish preparations were recorded at $199.949 million during July-February (2012-13) against the exports of $195.119 million during July-February (2011-12), according to data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

In terms of quantity, the seafood exports expanded by 12 percent during the period under review, the data revealed.

As much as 87,376 metric tons of seafood was exported during the first eight months of the current year against the exports of 78,029 metric tons during the corresponding period of last year.

Meanwhile, seafood exports during February 2013 decreased by 5.89 percent and 15.46 percent when compared to the exports of February 2012 and January 2013 respectively.

The exports of fish and fish preparations in February 2013 were recorded at $19.731 million against the exports of $20.965 million in February 2012 and $23.240 million in January 2013.

In terms of quantity, the seafood exports in February 2013 decreased by 10.63 percent and 15.79 percent when compared to the exports of February 2012 and January 2013 respectively. 
Source: http://pakobserver.net