The depleting stocks of tuna fish as well as the under-performance of the traditional sector caused a decline in the seafood exports in the first five months of the current financial year compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.
The seafood export, which performed exceptionally well in the last financial year by registering over 35 percent growth on the back of a major catch of tuna fish, has been depressed since the beginning of current financial year.
In Jul-Nov of 2006-07, the seafood exports were down by 3.49 percent by standing at $79.150 million compared to $82.012 million in the same period of last financial year. The quantity-wise exports also showed that there was over four percent decrease in the period under review compared to same period of last year.
“The exports figures are below the expectations if seen in the exports performance of the last year, a seafood exporter commented and said that a number of issues confronting the seafood industry are needed to be addressed to sustain the exports performance of the last year in the years to come.
The exporters attributed the decline in export to less tuna catch in the period under review, as there was drastic reduction when the all the Taiwanese fishing ships left the Pakistani territorial water due to depleting tuna stock. These ships left in September and October of current financial year because of insufficient quantity of the tuna fish to meet their operating expenses.
Due to its taste and food value owing to protein and vitamin richness, tuna is one of the most demanded delicacies in many countries of the world.
There was proposal of developing a national tuna corridor for maximum exploitation of tuna resources in Pakistani waters, however this proposal is yet to be materialized due to reservations of the provincial governments of Sindh and Balochistan on giving tuna catch permission to the large industrial fishing trawlers in the last meeting of the provincial co-ordination committee.
The performance of the traditional sector was also not up to the mark as there was reportedly less landing during the said period. The high cost of operation especially high price of diesel, makes it uneconomical for the local boats to go for fishing. “The local boats were seen most of the time anchored at the harbour and did not go for fishing much often during the current financial year,†a local fishermen leader said.
Source: Pakistan Press