Seafood export volume grows by 1.41 percent

The country's seafood export volume grew up by 1.41 percent in July-September 2016 with a comparatively higher fisheries landing this fiscal year, industry said on Wednesday. Seafood export volume growth is attributed to a higher fisheries landing almost by 50 percent this fiscal year, industry said, adding that nearly all fish and shrimp species were arriving at the harbour in a bulk.
The seafood export scaled up to 26271 metric tons in July-September 2016 from 25906 metric tons in July-September 2015 with an increase of 365 metric ton. However, low global fisheries prices pulled down the country's seafood export by two percent of $1.076 million to $64.050 million in July-September 2016 from $65.126 million in July-September 2015, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics shows.
"Better fisheries landing almost to 90 percent this year pushed the country's seafood export volume forward by 1.41 percent", President Sindh Trawlers Owners and Fishermen Association (STOFA), Habibullah Khan Niazi told Business Recorder, saying that "the exporters and boat owners are regaining from last the last year loss".
He said that the weak exporters and boat owners had faced huge financial losses from the low fisheries landing. However, he said that the current fiscal year had been better for all the stakeholders to regain. "Exporters had to cut their output for low fisheries catch despite huge cost of business. Similarly, boat owners were spending more on deep sea operations against from low catch", he said.
Ribbon fish that is locally known as Chind along with Squid (Sheeshi Mayya) were arriving in bigger volume this year, President STOFA said, adding that King Fish (Surmai), Red Snapper (Heera) and Croaker fish (Dothar) were also landing in a better quantity at the harbour. "Huge landing of all kind of shrimps is also reaching", he added.
In September 2016, the country's seafood export went up by 6.16 percent or $2 million to $34.456 million from $32.456 million in September 2015. Seafood export volume surged by 13 percent or 1616 metric tons to 14,193 metric tons in September 2016 from 12,577 metric tons in September 2015.