Decline in seafood exports: Exporters blame foreign nations’ curbs on Pakistani products

KARACHI: Exporters on Thursday blamed the continuing restrictions on the country’s fisheries products by different nations for a decline in seafood exports.

Continuation of various restrictions that several countries have placed on Pakistan’s seafood will result in decline in foreign exchange earnings by this sector, they said.

Figures issued by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics are indicating a slump in the seafood export during Dec 2022.

The country could make $39.21 million of seafood export in Dec 2022, which falls short by $10.765 million or 21.54 percent, comparing to the fisheries export of $49.97 million in Dec 2021.

In terms of volume, seafood export remained 16,880 million tons in 2022, down by 1,015 tons or 5.67 percent from 17,895 million tons in Dec 2021.

Exporters said that fisheries export per average unit price nosedived by 16.82 percent on the world market, fearing the continuing trend may hamper the country from reaching even the export target of the last fiscal year.

However, the country grew its seafood export by 12.20 percent during last six months of this fiscal year 2022-23 but exporters called the growth "marginal".

The fisheries export stood at $224,982 million in July-Dec 2022-23, which is up by $24.525 million comparing to $200.47 million in the same period last fiscal year.

The seafood average unit price declined by 5.4 percent in the last six months, which exporters said, may reduce export by the end of this fiscal year.

A ban on shrimp and siluriformes catfish export to the United States is also in place because of a non-compliance to turtle conservation measures in Pakistan, they said.

Countries like Saudi Arabia and even China has imposed strict restrictions on seafood imports from Pakistan. Besides Qatar and some other nations have also placed a ban on the country's fisheries products, they added.

But, the Arab nations have however permitted seafood import from India. They urged the government to step up negotiations with all the banning nations to help resume fisheries export.

These bans continue to hamper the country's seafood export growth, as exporters believe that Pakistan can scale up its export earning many folds if such unwated restrictions ended.

Only three companies make seafood export to European Union, as its ban over the last 15 years hinders other exporters to deal a trade agreement. The EU ban came into effects in 2007 because of a systemic failure to quality assurance programme, they said.

Seafood export to the EU nations can resume once European Commission fields inspection mission for Pakistan to review whether its compliances were met with by the country's competent authority.

Exporters are unhappy with the competent authority's procedures and plans, blaming it of being "unwilling" to invite the inspection team.

They urged Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and Federal Commerce Ministry to have the Federal Ministry of Maritime Affairs ensue a visit of European Commission Mission in next few months to help resume seafood export to the EU.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023