Pakistan’s seafood exports fetch 17pc higher per unit price

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Pakistan’s seafood exports fetch 17pc higher per unit price

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

By Shahid Shah

KARACHI: Pakistan’s seafood exports received 17 percent higher per unit price in 2009-10 compared with 2008-09, but the quantity of export declined by 11.13 percent, Federal Bureau of Statistics.

Pakistan’s seafood export went down by 11.13 percent to 113,219 tons from 127,393 tons. Value of our seafood exports fell by 2.74 percent to $227.28 million from $233.69 million. “The positive thing is that per unit price has increased to $2.1 per kg from $1.8 per kg last year,” said Mohammad Moazzam Khan, Marine Fisheries Department director general.

Although overall landing of fish at Pakistan’s harbour declined, the better prices were a result of an increase in exports of value-added fish products and export to new markets. Pakistan’s value-added products include ready-to-eat fish and shrimp. Our shrimps are directly sold in the retail market of Japan.

Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association chairman Faisal Iftikhar told The News that the Middle East and Indonesia were the new destinations for Pakistani seafood. Besides, China started buying more quantity of high value products like cuttlefish, scads and shrimp from Pakistan.

He, however, expressed his concern about depleting fish stocks of the country owing to widespread use of banned nets. Despite a ban on fishing during breeding months, June and July, fishing by illegal nets continued.

Fish stocks were declining by 15 percent every year, said Iftikhar, adding that fish industry would come to a halt in next five years if this continued. “Factories are operating at only 20 percent of their capacity because of decline in fish stocks,” he said.

The country has been facing problems in increasing its seafood exports since 2007 when European Union banned our seafood imports.

The European Union de-listed all Pakistani seafood exporters in early 2007. The ban is yet to be lifted. Pakistani authorities requested the European Union officials to visit the harbour in August last year. The EU officials promised to visit the country by the end of the year, but then changed their plans without giving Pakistan any reason.

Of the 28 seafood processing units, 11 had been exporting to the EU, but none of them is listed now.

When an EU mission visited the harbour in 2007, they found some deficiencies, both at the harbour and at the processing units. The EU’s Directorate of Food and Veterinary submitted their 25-page findings to Pakistani authorities, expressing concerns about the facilities.

There were two main deficiencies: lack of traceability record and deficient cold chain. Under the cold chain, temperature has to be 6 degrees Celsius for fresh fish and -12 degrees Celsius for frozen fish. “If we remove these deficiencies the problem can be resolved,” said on official of Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority.

Pakistan’s export to EU member countries was around $50 million in 2006, a year before the ban was slapped. “If export to EU had been happening, the country would have earned at least $50 millions more this year,” said the MFD DG.



Pakistan’s seafood exports fetch 17pc higher per unit price

 

[ice_man]

Fish stocks were declining by 15 percent every year, said Iftikhar, adding that fish industry would come to a halt in next five years if this continued. “Factories are operating at only 20 percent of their capacity because of decline in fish stocks,” he said.

i think this part is more important!!!!! dwindling fish stocks & declining sales too